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Author: 


Blair,  Lawrence  E. 


Title: 


Principles  and  practice  of 
show-card  writing 

Place: 

New  York 

Date: 

1922 


^M-^^?).\\-^ 


COLUMBIA  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARIES 
PRESERVATION 

BIBLIOGRAPHIC  MICROFORM  TARGET 


MASTER   NEGATIVE  * 


ORIGINAL  MATERIAL  AS  FILMED  -     EXISTING  BIBLIOGRAPHIC  RECORD 


Business 

253 

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Blair,  Lawrence  E. 

...  Principles  and  practice  of  show-card  writing,  pre- 
pared in  the  Extension  division  of  the  University  of  Wis- 
consin, by  Lawrence  E.  Blair  ...  1st  ed^ .  New  York  [etc.] 
McGraw-Hill  book  company,  inc.,  1922. 

xvi,  240  p.  incl.  front.,  illus.,  col.  plates.    23J*=".     (Industrial  education 
senes)      £$2.50j 


1.  Advertising  cards.    2.  Lettering. 


Library  of  Congress 
Copyright    A  690049 


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HF5851.B5    1922 
(S23i2i 


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FILMED  BY  PRESERVATION  RESOURCES,  BETHLEHEM.  PA. 


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MAIN  ENTRY:    Blair.  Lawrence  E. 


Principles  and  practice  of  show-card  writing 


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LIBRARY 


School  of  Business 


PRINCIPLES  AND  PRACTICE 

OF 

SHOW-CARD    WRITING 


UNIVERSITY  OF  WISCONSIN 

EXTENSION  TEXTS 

A  series  of  Industrial  and  Engineering  Education  Textbooks, 

developed  under  the  direction  of  Dean  Louis  E.  Reber, 

University  of  Wisconsin  Extension  Division 

N orris  and  Smith's 
SHOP  ARITHMETIC 

Norris  and  Craigo's 

ADVANCED     SHOP     MATHEMA- 
TICS 

Jansky's 

THEORY    AND    OPERATION    OF 
D.  C.  MACHINERY 

Jansky's 
ELECTRIC  METERS 

Hills' 

MACHINE  DRAWING 

George's 

ADVANCED  SHOP  DRAWING 

Wooley  and  Meredith's 
SHOP  SKETCHING 

Longfield's 

SHEET  METAL  DRAFTING 

Jansky's 

ELEMENTARY  MAGNETISM  AND 
ELECTRICITY 

Jansky's 

PRINCIPLES      OF      RADIOTELE- 
GRAPHY 

Jansky  and  Faber*s 

PRINCIPLES      OP      THE    TELE- 
PHONE 

Hobbs,  Elliott  and  Consoliver's 
GASOLINE  AUTOMOBILE 

Part     I. — Sttbscribers'     Apparatus 

Bool's 

Norris,  Winning  and  Weaver's 
GAS  ENGINE  IGNITION 

ELEMENTS    OF    STRUCTURES 

Hoot's 

Consoliver  and  Mitchell's 

AUTOMOTIVE     IGNITION 
SYSTEMS 

Shealy's 
HEAT 

REINFORCED    CONCRETE    CON- 
STRUCTION 

Vol    I. — Fundamental      Principles 
Vol.  n.— Retaining       WaUs       and 

Buildings 
Vol.  m.— Bridges  and  Culverts 

Shealy's 
STEAM  BOILBRS 

Blair's 

SHOW-CARD  WRITING 

Shealy's 

STEAM  ENGINB8 

Pulver's 

MATERIALS  OF  CONSTRUCTION 

INDUSTRIAL  EDUCATION  SERIES 

PRINCIPLES   AND    PRACTICE 

OF 

SHOW-CARD  WRITING 

PREPARED    IN  THE 

EXTENSION   DIVISION  OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  WISCONSIN 


BY 
LAWRENCE  E.   BLAIR 

INSTRUCTOR    IN    DRAWING    IN    THE   UNIVERSITY    EXTENSION    DIVISION 


FiEST  Edition 
Second  Impression 


A  student's  show-card  writing  outfit. 


Frontispiece 


McGRAW-HILL  BOOK  COMPANY,  Inc. 
NEW  YORK :  370  SEVENTH  AVENUE 

LONDON :  6  &  8  BOUVERIE  ST.,  E.  C.  4 

1922 


INTENTIONAL  SECOND  EXPOSURE 


A  students  sliow-tanl   writins  outtit. 


Fronfif<pirre 


INDUSTRIAL  EDUCATION  SERIES 

PRINCIPLES   AND    PRACTICE 

OF 

SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


PREPARED    IN  THE 

EXTENSION   DIVISION  OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  WISCONSIN 


BY 
LAWRENCE  E.   BLAIR 

INSTUrc  TOR    IN    DRAWIMI    IN    THE    UNIVKHSITV     FXTINSION    DIVISION 


First  Edition 
Second  Impression 


McGRAW-HILL  BOOK  CO:\IPANY,  Inc. 
NEW  YORK:  370  SEVENTH  AVENUE 

LONDON  :  G  &  8  BOUVERIE  ST.,  E.  C.  4 

1922 


I 


copyeight,  1922,  by  the 
McGraw-Hill  Book  Company,  Inc. 


PRINTED  IN  THB  UNITED  STATES  OF  AMERICA 


I  • 


PREFACE 

This  book  presents  in  an  organized,  orderly,  and  progressive 
sequence  the  fundamental  principles  of  show-card  writing,  to- 
gether with  the  most  recent  developments  in  the  practice  of  the 
art.    The  text  is  not  a  collection  of  ornamental  alphabets,  nor 
is  it  a  series  of  recipes  and  tricks  of  the  trade.    It  is  a  radical 
departure  in  this  respect  from  the  usual  book  on  this  subject. 
The  aim  has  been  to  present  the  fundamentals  of  the  construc- 
tion of  standard  show-card  styles  of  lettering,  the  principles  of 
layout,  arrangement,  color  theory  and  practice,  and  show-card 
advertising  principles,  together  with  descriptions  of  new  meth- 
ods, mediums,  and  opportunities  which  have  been  developed  with 
such  rapidity  in  the  last  few  years.    Mere  temporary  points  of 
view  have  been  avoided  and  future  fundamental  tendencies  and 
developments  anticipated  so  that  the  subject  matter  will  not  be- 
come inapplicable  or  obsolete  even  though  the  rapidity  with 
which  the  show-card  field  is  expanding  places  limitations  upon 
this  endeavor.    Narrowness  of  style  in  the  illustrations  has  been 
avoided  also,  by  using  the  work  of  leading  card  writers  for  dem- 
onstrating the  various  points  brought  out  in  the  discourse. 

The  author  is  keenly  aware  of  his  indebtedness  to  those  card 

writers  whose  work  is  found  in  the  following  pages,  to  Professor 

B.  G.  Elliott  for  his  cooperation  and  valuable  suggestions;  to 

Miss  Cecelia  McGuan  for  her  helpful  criticisms  and  proofreading 

of  the  manuscript;  to  Ross  George  for  the  material  on  *' movie*' 

titles ;  and  to  the  following  firms  whose  generosity  simplified  the 

task  of  illustrating  this  volume :  Bausch-Lomb  Optical  Company ; 

Botanical  Decorating  Company;  Chicago  Mat  Board  Company; 

Devoe    and   Reynolds    Company;    Esterbrook    Pen    Company; 

Favor,  Ruhl  &  Company;  F.  K.  Ferenz;  N.  Glantz;  Golding 

Manufacturing  Company ;  Guaranty  Trust  and  Savings  Bank  of 

Los  Angeles ;  C.  Howard  Hunt  Pen  Company ;  Kansas  City  Slide 

Company;  The  Lackner  Company;  National  Card,  Mat,   and 

Board  Company ;  Newman  Manufacturing  Company ;  Owl  Drug 

Company ;  Paasche  Air  Brush  Company ;  C.  F.  Pease  Company ; 

•  • 
VII 


Vlll 


PREFACE 


The  "Poster"  Magazine;  The  Prang  Company;  Schack  Artificial 
Flower  Company;  Wallbrunn,  Kling,  and  Company;  F.  Weber 
Company ;  George  E.  Watson  Company ;  and  the  Western  Grocer 
Company.  Grateful  acknowledgment  is  made  for  the  generous 
cooperation  thus  received. 

Lawrence  E.  Blair. 
Madison,  Wis., 
June,  1922. 


I  i 


T 

If.- 


SUGGESTIONS  FOE  USING  THIS  BOOK  AS  A  TEXTBOOK 

The  plan  of  this  book  permits  its  use  by  students  for  home- 
study  or  by  teachers  for  classroom  instruction,  as  well  as  for  a 
handbook  for  general  reading  or  reference.  The  arrangement  of 
the  text  material  is  based  on  three  years'  experience  in  teaching 
this  subject  to  adult  classes  and  correspondence  students  in  the 
University  Extension  Division  of  the  University  of  Wisconsin, 
the  order  of  succession  for  the  topics  in  the  various  chapters 
being  that  which  has  been  found  from  experience  to  be  both 
desirable  and  effective. 

In  the  use  of  this  book  as  a  text  for  individual  or  class 
study,  the  practice  of  the  fundamental  strokes  should  be  em- 
phasized and  this  should  be  augmented  with  drills  and  exercises 
until  proficiency  in  the  handling  of  brushes  and  pens  has  been 
well  developed.  If  time  permits,  variations  of  the  standard 
styles  of  alphabets  should  be  originated. 

The  construction  of  the  four  principal  forms  of  show-card 
lettering,  namely,  single-stroke,  Roman,  Gothic,  and  slanted 
styles  should  be  studied  early  in  the  course.  The  progressive 
arrangement  of  these  fundamental  alphabets  in  the  text  auto- 
matically provides  the  classroom  teacher  with  a  program  which 
may  be  made  the  basis  for  developing  ability  in  the  construction 
of  letters  and  letter  elements.  A  varied  and  unrelated  series  of 
alphabets  for  the  student  to  copy  laboriously  and  memorize  is 
not  displayed,  because  a  familiarity  with  the  principal  styles 
from  which  all  display  alphabets  are  derived,  together  with  a 
thorough  understanding  of  a  few  simple  methods  for  modifying 
letter  forms,  is  all  that  is  required  to  enable  any  student  to  give 
full  expression  of  his  own  individuality. 

The  history  of  lettering  has  been  briefly  touched  upon  because 
a  clear  conception  of  the  historical  development  of  the  various 
styles  of  lettering  is  really  necessary  if  the  instructor  wishes  to 
establish  in  the  student  *s  mind  a  clear  understanding  of  what  is 
good  and  bad  usage.  The  chapter  on  placing  and  arrangement 
sets  forth  the  underlying  principles  of  composition  because  the 


X        SUGGESTIONS  FOR  USING  TIIIS  BOOK  AS  A  TEXTBOOK 

average  card  writer,  at  present,  does  not  understand  the  structure 
of  layouts  from  an  aBsthetic  viewpoint.  Under  such  handicap,  he 
does  not  realize  that  there  are  definite  known  laws  governing  the 
effective  arrangement  of  the  masses  on  the  card. 

The  chapter  on  the  theory  of  color  and  the  formation  of 
color  schemes  is  an  attempt  to  place  at  the  disposal  of  the  card 
writer,  who  uses  color  daily  in  the  shop,  the  essentials  of  what 
is  tau«rht  to  the  poster  artist  in  recognized  art  schools.  Show- 
card  writing  has  reached  the  point  where  this  knowledge  should 
be  available,  and  the  card-writing  student  should  not  be  left  in 
ignorance  of  color  corapasition  and  usage  in  which  the  student 
of  poster  advertising  is  now  thoroughly  drilled.  The  chapter  on 
color  seeks  to  establish  an  appreciation  of  the  value  and  im- 
portance of  color  properly  used  in  show-card  advertising. 

An  effort  is  made  in  Chap.  VI  to  apply  the  principles  of 
advertising  to  the  arrangement  and  wording  of  show  cards,  for 
in  the  past  there  has  been  too  much  dependence  upon  catch 
phrases  and  facetious  slogans  and  too  little  attention  to  the 
potency  of  the  show  card  for  promoting  salas. 

The  subsequent  chapters  deal  with  the  commercial  application 
of  the  principles  set  forth  in  the  earlier  part  of  the  book  and 
new  developments  such  as  the  use  of  tempera  colors  for  pictorial 
work,  the  making  of  lantern  slides,  the  lettering  of  *' movie'' 
titles,  the  management  of  show-card  departments  in  retail  stores, 
and  the  development  of  new  fields  such  as  display  service  for 
stores,  theaters,  and  banks.  The  plan  of  the  book  permits  any 
arrangement  of  the  subjects  following  letter  formation  which 
experience  may  lead  the  instructor  to  desire,  although  the  suc- 
cession followed  here  has  been  that  which  the  author  has  found 
most  satisfactory  in  his  own  experience. 


LIST  OF  MATERIALS 

The  following  materials  which  are  illustrated  in  the  frontis- 
piece constitute  a  suitable  equipment  for  studying  a  course  in 
Show-card  Writing. 

1  soft  pencil. 

1  24  in.  T-square. 

1  60°  transparent  triangle,  8  in.  long. 

1  brass  crayon  holder,  6  in. 

1  12  in.  ruler. 

5  Speedball  pens,  square  points,  Style  A,  Nos.  1,  2,  3,  4,  5. 

5  Speedball  pens,  round  points,  Style  B,  Nos.  1,  2,  3,  4,  5. 

6  round  writing  pens   (sizes  1%,  2V2»  3V2 — two  of  each  size). 
3  Red  Sable  brushes  (1  large,  1  medium,  1  small  size). 

12  sticks  of  charcoal. 

1  eraser. 

1  artgum. 
12  thumb  tacks. 

1  20  X  24  in.  drawing  board. 

1  bottle  waterproof  black  India  ink. 

6  bottles  show-card  colors  (black,  white,  red,  yellow,  blue,  and  green). 
20  sheets  drawing  paper,  12  x  18  in. 


ifi 


CONTENTS 


INTRODUCTION 
Show-Card  Writing  as  an  Occupation 


ART. 

1.    Development  as  a  Trade  . 

la.  Training  Required 

lb.  Different  Types  of  Employment 

Ic.  Future  of  the  Trade 


TAOG 

1 
4 
6 
8 


CHAPTER  I 
Construction  of  Elementary  Letters 
2.    Origin  and  Development  of  Lettering 


2a.  Definitions    . 

3.  Elementary  Alphabet 

4.  Pens 


i). 
6. 
7. 
8. 
9. 
10. 


11. 
12. 
13. 
14. 
15. 
16. 
17. 
18. 
10. 
20. 
21. 


22. 
23. 


Brushes  . 

Colors 

Inks 

Cardboard 

Students'  Materials 

Learning  to  Letter 


11 
13 
15 
19 
29 
33 
33 
34 
34 
37 


CHAPTER  II 

History  of  Modern  Styles  of  Lettering 

Value  of  Historical  Viewpoint 43 

Characteristics  of  the  Classic  Roman 44 

Construction  of  the  Classic  Roman    .:....  46 

Lower  Case  Roman 50 

Uncial ^2 

Gothic ^^ 

Old  English ^5 

Gothic   (So-called) .  55 

Early  English  Roman 58 

Renaissance ®0 

Italic  and  Script 60 

CHAPTER  III 
Modern  Show-Card  Alphabets 


Show-card  Styles  of  Lettering 

Single- STROKE  and  Accented  Stroke  Styles 

•  •  • 

xiu 


63 


XIV 

Jm  mm-  M.  • 

24. 
25. 
26. 
27. 
28. 
29. 
30. 
31. 
32. 
33. 


34. 
35. 
36. 
37. 
38. 
30. 
40. 
41. 
42. 
43. 
44. 
45. 
46. 
47. 
48. 
49. 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Four  Classes  of  Lettering  Sttles 67 

Tuscan  Style       7i 

Roman   Style 72 

Gothic  or  Old  English  Style  ...  72 

Italic  Style .72 

Script  Style 75 

Ni'MERAL.s go 

Direction  and  Order  of  Strokes gj 

Modifications qi 

Practice  Strokes ...  97 

CHAPTER  IV 

Principles  of  Placing  and  Arrangement 

Purpose  of  Cards 99 

Importance  of  Composition 99 

Laws  of  Composition 101 

Symmetrical  Balance 102 

Camouflaged  Balance io2 

What  to  Balance                             193 

Actual  and  Optical  Centers 107 

Rules  for  Proportioning  .       .                      io7 

Harmony 193 

Unity .       '       .       !  110 

Rhythm Ill 

Simplicity 123 

Emphasis 1J3 

Controlling  the  Eye 115 

Line  and  Mass jjg 

Effects  of  Line uq 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  V 

Color 

50.    Importance  of  Color 119 

5L     Color  Spectrum 129 

52.  Primary  Colors 220 

53.  How  THE  Eye  Sees  Color 220 

54.  Color  Wheel 220 

55.  Hue 121 

56.  Complementary  Colors 122 

57.  Advancing  and  Receding  Colors 122 

58.  Influence  of  Adjoining  Colors     .......  123 

59.  Analogous  Colors              .       . 124 

60.  Warm  and  Cold  Colors 124 

61.  Value      ....       1 124 

62.  Color  Schemes 124 

63.  CoLOB  Balance 127 


ART. 

64. 
65. 


66. 
67. 
68. 
69. 
70. 
71. 
72. 
73. 
74. 
75. 
76. 


77. 
78. 
79. 
80. 
81. 
82. 
83. 


84. 
85. 
86. 
87. 
88. 
89. 
90. 
91. 
92. 
93. 
94. 
95. 
96. 


CoLOB  Triads 
CoLOB  Fatigue 


XV 

FAOU 

128 
129 


CHAPTER  VI 

Prinoiples  of  Show-card  Advertising 

Importance  of  Study 131 

Planning  the  Advertising 131 

Wording  the  Card 135 

Aim  of  the  Wording 139 

Gaining  Attention  of  Reader  .       .       .       .       .       .139 

Three  Types  of  Readers   . 141 

Listing  Selling  Points 14 1 

Basis  of  Appeals 143 

Headlines .       .       .       .       .  146 

Correcting  Errors 146 

General  Suggestions 148 

CHAPTER  VIT 

Card  Writing  Practice 

Commercial   Viewpoint 151 

First  Impressions                             152 

Unity  of  Thought  in  Inscription 153 

Individuality 164 

Laying  Out  the  Card 157 

Making  Duplicate  Cards 159 

Practical   Show-card  Designs 161 


CHAPTER  VIII 

Simple  Designs  in  Color 

Air-Brush  Manipulation 

Effects  Produced  by  Colors 167 

Selecting   Colors        .       . 167 

Two-Color  Schemes I68 

Effect  of  Texture     ..........  171 

Borders 171 

Circles  and  Ovals 175 

Enlarging  Devices 177 

Cut-outs  and  Stencils 179 

Mat  Knife igi 

Air  Brushes  and  Atomizers isi 

Work  Table ig7 

Stock  of  Prepared  Cards  .       . 190 

Cooperating  with  the  Window  Dresseb 192 


If 


xvi  coxTRyrs 

CHAPTER  IX 

Designing  Cards  in  Several  Colors 
The  Use  of  Tempera 

AIT.  PAOB 

97.    Difficulty  of  Compucated  Color  Schemes       ....  195 

08.    Making  Colors  "Talk" 195 

90.    Choosing  the  Right  Colors 196 

100.  Suggestions  to  Beginners 199 

101.  Schemes  in  Three  Colors 199 

102.  Trouble  with  Show-Card  Colors 200 

103.  Lettering  Inks 202 

104.  Tempera  Color 203 

CHAPTER  X 
Details  of  Commercial  Practice 

105.  Sign  Cloth 207 

106.  Chalk  Lines 207 

107.  Japan  and  Oil  Colors                             ......  207 

108.  Slotted  Cards  and  Price  Markers 208 

100.    Index  Hand 209 

110.  Illustrated  Cards 210 

111.  Lantern  Slides 212 

112.  "Movie"  Title  Lettering 216 

113.  Novel  Embellishments 221 

114.  Conventionalizing  Floral  Cuts 222 

115.  Department  Store  Routine 223 

116.  Independent  Shops 225 

117.  Opportunities  for  New  Trade 225 

118.  Theater  Lobby  Cards 226 

110.    What  to  Charge 230 

120.  Using  Samples                                   232 

121.  Fitting  fob  Successful  Work 233 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 

INTRODUCTION 
SHOW-CARD  WRITING  AS  AN  OCCUPATION 

1.  Development  as  a  Trade.— Show-card  writing  is  a  com- 
paratively recent  development  as  an  occupation.  It  was 
only  a  few  years  ago  that  retail  merchants  began  to  appre- 
ciate the  commercial  value  of  attractive  displays  on  the  coun- 
ters and  in  the  windows  of  their  stores.  Up  to  that  time  the 
counters  and  windows  were  considered  largely  as  convenient 
places  for  storing  things  out  of  the  way.  Each  window  was 
generally  made  up  of  several  panes  of  glass,  and  the  floor 
of  the  window  was  but  little  more  than  a  shelf.  When  plate 
glass  windows  became  popular  with  dry  goods  dealers,  the  floors 
of  the  windows  were  made  wider  and  lower  to  accommodate 
wax  figures  used  in  the  display  of  wearing  apparel.  The  dis- 
play of  merchandise  has  advanced  in  this  way  by  regular  pro- 
gressive steps  until  display  advertising  has  become  a  very  im- 
portant factor  in  every  type  of  retail  business.  The  window 
displays  have  developed  into  large  lobby  displays,  while  dis- 
play cards  have  become  common  throughout  the  entire  store. 

When  merchants  began  to  use  display  cards,  sign  painters 
were  the  only  men  equipped  to  fill  their  orders.  It  soon  became 
apparent  that  the  lettering  of  these  display  cards  would  prove 
a  profitable  trade  in  itself,  and  many  sign  painters,  instead  of 
treating  the  lettering  of  display  cards  as  a  side  issue,  specialized 
in  this  line  of  work.  With  this  development,  show-card  writing 
became  a  distinctive  trade  with  characteristics  and  requirements 
decidedly  its  own. 

At  first,  the  influence  of  sign  painting  upon  the  newer  trade 
of  show-card  writing  was  quite  marked.  The  lettering  was  done 
on  muslin  tacked  over  a  light  frame.  Brushes,  oil,  and  japan 
were  used  at  first  and  are  still  being  used  by  the  older  crafts- 
men. Practically  all  of  the  lettering  was  decorated  with  consid- 
erable scroll  work  and  brush  ornamentation,  the  style  of  let- 

1 


2  >S7/ On-r A /.*/>   WRITING 

tering  being  much  the  same  as  used  in  the  painting  of  signs. 
Show-card  writing  is  now  a  highly  specialized  occupation  and 
its  connection  with  the  sign  painting  trade  has  all  but  disap- 
peared. While  some  very  good  designs  were  made  in  the  early 
stages  of  its  development  as  a  separate  trade,  present  designs  are 
swiftly  approaching  the  level  of  commercial  art,  Fig.  1.     The 


Fio.  1. — A  well-designed  sale  announcement  for  a  de- 
partment store.  A  gray  mat  board  was  used  for 
the  card,  the  panel  painted  in  two  shades  of  red, 
the  tiguro  in  natural  colors,  and  the  lettering  in 
yellow  and  light  blue. 

(DcMif/n  by  Willinm  Haine,  TwieVs  BtudiOj 

IndiunapoliH.) 

field  has  broadened  from  mere  price  ticket  and  display  card 
lettering  to  advertising  matter  of  all  kinds,  such  as  moving  pic- 
ture announcements,  billboard  posters,  street  car  cards,  booklet 
covers,  hand-lettered  advertisements,  and  publicity  material  of 
every  sort  in  which  hand  lettering  may  be  used. 
This  rise  in  the  standard  and  expansion  of  the  show-card  field 


A8  AN  OCCUPATION 


3 


has  brought  about  a  change  in  the  quality  and  requirements  of 
the  lettering  of  these  cards.  Muslin  has  been  largely  replaced  by 
card  stock  which  may  be  had  in  scores  of  different  finishes.  Oil 
and  japan  colors  are  now  seldom  used  except  on  cards  which  are 
to  be  placed  open  to  the  weather,  being  *  replaced  largely  by 
water  and  tempera  colors.  Special  pens  and  tools  have  been 
invented  to  meet  the  requirements  of  speed  and  the  newer  styles 
of  lettering. 
The  sign  shop  with  its  side  line  of  show-card  writing  has  given 


Fig.  2. — A  window  display  for  June. 

way  to  shops  and  studios  doing  an  exclusive  show-card  business. 
In  many  eases  the  work  has  branched  out  still  further,  the  larger 
firms  handling  special  window  decorating  orders.  Some  of 
these  firms  make  a  business  of  arranging  the  whole  display.  Fig. 
2,  for  a  certain  fee,  while  others  confine  their  efforts  to  hand- 
painted  backgrounds,  fixtures,  and  cards.  A  general  lettering 
business  is  solicited  by  still  other  firms  which  handle  covers  for 
booklets,  programs,  menu  cards,  and  even  pictorial  designs  for 
billboards  and  street  car  cards.  It  is  becoming  more  common 
for  men  who  have  received  their  training  in  a  recognized  art 
school  to  establish  high-grade  show-card  and  lettering  studios. 


INTENTIONAL  SECOND  EXPOSURE 


*> 


*s7/(M»   r  W.7>    W  LTI  l\G 


teriiig-  Ix'iiig:  iiiudi  the  sanic  as  used  in  the  painting  of  signs. 
Show-card  writing  is  now  a  highly  specialized  oeeupation  and 
its  ronneetion  with  tlie  sign  i)ainting  trade  has  all  hut  disap- 
jxared.  While  some  very  good  designs  were  made  in  the  early 
stages  of  its  development  a.s  a  separate  trade,  present  designs  are 
swiftly  apj)roaehing  the  level  of  commercial  art.  Fig.  1.     The 


|/,Q.  1. — A  well-dosii;np(l  sale  nnnoiinci'inont  t"i  n  <l'- 
p.-irtnu-nt  slnro.  A  jrrny  nuit  Ixcvid  was  iis<-<l  f:,v 
111.'  r.iid.  flu'  pan.l  painted  in  two  sluules  of  red. 
iIm'  limiir  in  natiinil  «-olors,  and  the  l.'tlcrinu  in 
yi'liiiw    iMul    liirlit    l)lne. 

ilh.siifn    hi)    Willitnn    llniiic.    'In'ufs    Stinllu, 

I  ililidiiiiimHs.) 

field  has  hroadened  from  mere  price  ticket  and  display  card 
lt'tt<'ring  to  advertising  matter  of  all  kinds,  such  as  moving  pic- 
ture announcement.s,  hillboard  posters,  street  car  cards,  ])ooklet 
covers,  hand-lettered  advertisements,  and  publicity  material  of 
every  sort  in  whi<'h  haiul  lettering  may  ht    used. 

This  rise  in  the  standard  and  expansion  of  the  show-card  field 


AiS  A\  OCCUPATION  i 

ha8  brought  about  a  change  in  the  quality  and  requirements  of 
the  lettering  of  these  cards.  Muslin  has  been  largely  replaced  by 
card  stock  which  may  l)e  had  in  .scores  of  ditferent  linishes.  Oil 
and  japan  colors  are  now  seldom  used  except  on  cards  which  are 
to  l)e  i)laccd  oi)cn  to  the  weather,  being' replaced  largely  by 
water  and  tempera  colors.  Special  pens  and  tools  liave  l>e<'n 
invented  to  meet  the  i'e(iuirements  of  speed  and  the  newer  styles 
of  lettering. 

The  sign  shop  with  its  side  line  of  show-card  writing  has  given 


Fig.  2. — A  window  disi)lay  for  June. 

way  to  shops  and  studios  doing  an  exclusive  show-card  business. 
In  many  cases  the  work  has  branched  out  still  further,  the  larger 
firms  handling  special  window  decorating  orders.  Some  of 
these  firms  make  a  business  of  arranging  the  whole  display.  Fig. 
2,  for  a  certain  fee,  while  others  confine  their  efforts  to  hand- 
painted  backgrounds,  fixtures,  and  cards.  A  general  lettering 
business  is  solicited  by  still  other  firms  which  handle  covers  f<(r 
booklets,  programs,  menu  cards,  and  even  pictorial  designs  for 
l)illboards  and  street  car  cnnls.  It  is  1)ecoming  more  common 
for  men  who  have  received  their  training  in  a  recognized  art 
school  to  establish  high-grade  show-card  and  lettering  studios. 


4  SHOW-CAU'D  WRITIXG 

The  increase  in  the  amount  of  advertising  by  means  of  cards 
has  made  it  necessary  and  profitable  for  business  institutions  to 
have  their  own  staff  of  card  designers.  In  the  smaller  retail 
stores  the  cards  are  sometimes  lettered  by  the  window  trimmer 
or  one  of  the  salesmen  who  spends  part  of  his  time  doing  this 
work.  Department  stores,  theatrical  concerns,  and  movie  studios 
employ  staffs  of  their  own,  while  some  sign  and  paint  shops  con- 
duct their  show-card  business  as  a  special  department  in  their 
organization. 

lA.  Training  Required. — A  few  years  ago,  preparation  as  a 
show-card  writer  was  made  only  through  an  apprenticeship  for 
a  certain  length  of  time  at  low  pay  in  some  sign  shop.  Cor- 
respondence, trade,  and  vocational  schools  now  offer  the  neces- 
sary instruction.  While  art  schools  do  not  give  particular 
attention  to  show  cards,  the  courses  which  they  give  in  letter- 
ing, poster  design,  and  commercial  art  especially  fit  the  stu- 
dent for  the  new  high  standards  set  for  display  publicity.  The 
high  prices  paid  by  large  theatrical  and  business  concerns,  and 
the  genuine  beauty  of  the  work  demanded  in  return.  Fig.  3, 
make  the  need  for  a  higher  quality  of  instruction  and  a  better 
understanding  of  the  principles  of  advertising  art  more  and 
more  imperative  to  the  beginner  in  the  modern  display  adver- 
tising field. 

Whatever  the  form  or  quality  of  the  student's  preparation, 
his  first  task  will  be  to  learn  the  fundamental  strokes  which 
compose  lettering  in  general.  In  learning  these,  particular  care 
and  diligent  practice  are  essential.  In  fact,  methodical  exactness 
is  necessary  in  every  phase  of  card  writing,  and  it  should  be 
developed  from  the  beginning.  This  exactness  and  thorough 
practice  in  learning  the  fundamental  strokes  later  become  the 
basis  for  creditable  work  when  occasion  requires  rapid  lettering. 
It  is  very  easy  to  neglect  to  practice  and  very  easy  to  become 
discouraged  during  this  early  stage.  The  student  should  over- 
come any  tendency  to  give  in  to  either  of  these  drawbacks. 
There  should  really  be  nothing  discouraging  about  learning  to 
letter  since  it  is  like  learning  to  write.  The  knack  of  lettering, 
like  that  of  operating  a  typewriter  or  playing  a  musical  instru- 
ment, may  at  first  seem  difficult  and  the  exercises  monotonous, 
but  after  the  eyes  and  fingers  are  accustomed  to  the  simple  com- 
binations of  movements,  it  becomes  largely  a  matter  of  habit.    As 


AS  AN  OCCUPATION 


.soon  as  the  first  fundamentals  are  mastered,  the  student  will 
find  lettering  a  simple,  agreeable,  and  profitable  means  of  mak- 
ing a  living. 

The  modern  card  writer  is  more  than  a  mechanical  maker  of 
letters  and  cards.  To  produce  cards  which  will  be  commercially 
valuable,  he  must  know  the  fundamentals  of  advertising  appeal 
and  the  essential  requirements  in  producing  attractive  cards 
wherein  color  contrasts  and  combinations  play   a  silent  but 


gciLP>.l>^iiiei 


JiS 


a  n  I  e 


GLOFLIA    SWAMSON^      ELLIOTT   DEXTEK^ 
THEODORE  PjOBERTS     6l    MONTE    BL.UE- 


FiG.   3. — A   typical  example  of  the  bettor  class  of  show  cards  for   theaters. 
The  lettering  was  done  in  black  and  gray  on  a  white  card. 

(Design  ly  William  Haine,   Twiet's  Studio,  Indianapolis.) 

active  part  in  securing  attention  and  encouraging  sales.  While 
natural  talent  is  valuable  in  this  respect,  it  is  a  great  mistake  to 
feel  that  these  principles  cannot  be  mastered  except  by  the  gifted 
few.  This  is  far  from  being  true.  These  principles  and  their 
application  are  really  simple  and  exceedingly  interesting,  and 
they  can  be  deliberately  learned.  Under  the  old  system  of  ap- 
prenticeship in. the  sign  shop,  this  study  was  neglected  or  omitted 
entirely,  but  in  the  future,  instruction  in  these  matters  will 
no  doubt  become  quite  common  and  universal. 

The  length  of  time  required  for  the  completion  of  a  course 
of  study  depends  upon  the  student.  Two  months  is  sufficient  to 
complete  an  elementary  course  in  a  school  where  the  student 


INTENTIONAL  SECOND  EXPOSURE 


4  sifow-c.iin)  wniTfxo 

The  increase  in  the  amount  of  advertising  by  means  of  cards 
has  made  it  necessary  and  profitable  for  business  institutions  to 
have  their  own  staff  of  card  designers.  In  the  smaller  retail 
stores  the  cards  are  sometimes  lettered  by  the  window  trimmer 
or  one  of  the  salesmen  who  spends  part  of  his  time  doing  this 
work.  Department  stores,  theatrical  concerns,  and  movie  studios 
employ  staffs  of  their  own,  while  some  sign  and  paint  shops  con- 
duct their  show-card  business  as  a  special  department  in  their 
organization. 

lA.  Training  Required. — A  fe^v  years  ago,  preparation  as  a 
show-card  writer  was  made  only  through  an  apprenticeship  for 
a  certain  length  of  time  at  low  pay  in  some  sign  shop.  Cor- 
respondence, trade,  and  vocational  schools  now  offer  the  neces- 
sary instruction.  While  art  schools  do  not  give  particular 
attention  to  show  cards,  the  courses  which  they  give  in  letter- 
ing, poster  design,  and  commercial  art  especially  fit  the  stu- 
dent for  the  new  high  standards  set  for  display  publicity.  The 
high  prices  paid  by  large  theatrical  and  business  concerns,  and 
the  genuine  beauty  of  the  work  demanded  in  return.  Fig.  3, 
make  the  need  for  a  higher  quality  of  instruction  and  a  better 
understanding  of  the  })rinciples  of  advertising  art  more  and 
more  imperative  to  the  beginner  in  the  modern  display  adver- 
tising field. 

Wliatever  the  form  or  quality  of  the  student's  preparation, 
his  first  task  will  ])e  to  learn  the  fundamental  strokes  which 
compose  lettering  in  general.  In  learning  these,  particular  care 
and  diligent  practice  are  essential.  In  fact,  methodical  exactness 
is  neces.sar\^  in  every  phase  of  card  writing,  and  it  should  be 
developed  from  the  beginning.  This  exactness  and  thorough 
practice  in  learning  the  fundamental  strokes  later  become  the 
basis  for  creditable  work  when  occasion  requires  rapid  lettering. 
It  is  very  easy  to  neglect  to  practice  and  very  easy  to  become 
discouraged  during  this  early  stage.  The  student  should  over- 
come any  tendency  to  give  in  to  either  of  these  drawbacks. 
There  should  really  be  nothing  discouraging  about  learning  to 
letter  since  it  is  like  learning  to  write.  The  knack  of  lettering, 
like  that  of  operating  a  typewriter  or  playing  a  musical  instru- 
ment, may  at  first  seem  difficult  and  the  exercises  monotonous, 
but  after  the  eyes  and  fingers  are  accustomed  to  the  simple  com- 
binations of  movements,  it  becomes  largely  a  matter  of  habit.    As 


^*s'  .i.A"  orrrrATiox 


5 


.soon  as  tlie  lirst  fundamentals  are  mastered,  tlie  student  will 
find  lettering  a  simple,  agreeable,  and  profitable  means  of  mak- 
ing a  living. 

The  modern  card  writer  is  more  than  a  mechanical  maker  of 
letters  and  cards.  To  produce  cards  which  will  be  commercially 
valual)le,  he  must  know  the  fundamentals  of  advertising  appeal 
and  the  essential  requirements  in  producing  attractive  cards 
wherein   color   contrasts   and  combinations   play   a   silent   but 


(5clLP).DeMille% 

«Te  a  n  1  e> 
j4cicpher.sor 


GLORIA    SWANSON-.     ELLIOTT   DEXTEP^^ 
THEODORE  ROBERTS     5l    MONTE    BLUE^ 


Fic.   o. — A    typical   oxamplo  of  the  better  class  of  show  cards   for    theatt-rs. 
The  lettering  was  done  in  black  and  ^ray  on  a  white  card. 

(Demgn  hy  William    Iluine,   Twict's  Studio,  Indianapolis.) 

active  part  in  securing  attention  and  encouraging  sales.  While 
natural  talent  is  valuable  in  this  respect,  it  is  a  great  mistake  to 
feel  that  these  principles  cannot  be  mastered  except  by  the  gifted 
few.  This  Ls  far  from  being  true.  These  principles  and  their 
application  are  really  simple  and  exceedingly  interesting,  and 
they  can  be  deliberately  learned.  Under  the  old  system  of  ap- 
prenticeship in.the  sign  shop,  this  study  was  neglected  or  omitted 
entirely,  but  in  the  future,  instruction  in  these  matters  will 
no  doubt  become  quite  common  and  universal. 

The  length  of  time  required  for  the  completion  of  a  course 
of  study  depends  upon  the  student.  Two  months  is  sufficient  to 
complete  an  elementary  course  in  a  school  where  the  student 


I 


i 


I 


1 


♦     II 


0  SHOW-CARD  WRITING 

gives  his  full  time  to  the  work.  After  five  or  six  lessons  in 
most  any  course  the  student  is  usually  in  a  position  to  do  credita- 
ble work, — sufficiently  good  to  produce  a  money  return.  On 
piece  work  his  return  will  be  small  until  he  can  letter  rapidly 
and  increase  his  output.  Correspondence  students  are  not  usu- 
ally able  to  give  full  time  to  study  so  that  it  takes  them  longer 
to  complete  a  course.  The  length  of  time  required  depends  upon 
how  much  previous  practice  they  have  had  and  how  much  time 
they  can  give  to  their  lessons.  In  any  case  the  period  of  training 
is  quite  short  when  compared  with  other  trades. 

The  physical  qualifications  are  few.  Good  eyesight  is  an  asset, 
but  defective  or  weak  eyes  are  not  absolute  handicaps.  The  loss 
of  any  of  the  limbs  is  no  real  handicap  to  an  ambitious  student. 
Neither  is  sex  a  barrier;  women  are  proving  as  successful  as 
men.  Persons  physically  weak  or  below  normal  health  may 
select  working  places  and  hours  to  suit  their  tastes  and  con- 
venience. The  demand  for  cards  is  universal,  and  the  student 
may  locate  in  any  climate  and  find  his  business  prospects  good. 
Age  is  no  barrier  unless  the  hand  has  become  stiff  and  cramped. 
Almost   any    physical   handicap   can   be   overcome   by   diligent 

practice. 

IB.  Different  Tjrpes  of  Employment.— After  the  student  has 
completed  his  course,  he  finds  three  principal  classes  of  open- 
ings for  the  practice  of  his  chosen  vocation.  He  may  apply 
for  work  in  a  show-card  studio  or  sign  shop;  enter  the  card 
writing  department  of  some  business  institution ;  or  launch  out 
immediately  to  build  up  a  business  of  his  own. 

Sign  Shop.—U  he  chooses  the  first  of  these  openings,  he  will 
no  doubt  be  given  a  position  as  helper.  As  soon  as  he  has  accus- 
tomed himself  to  his  employer's  business  he  will  become  a  full- 
fledged  card  writer.  If  the  business  is  large  enough  and  he  shows 
special  aptitude  for  a  certain  phase  of  work,  he  may  perhaps 
develop  into  a  specialist  in  that  particular  line  and  handle  but 
one  kind  of  orders.  His  pay  as  a  helper  will  be  low,  but  it  will 
be  a  living  wage  at  least.  As  a  card  writer,  his  pay  will  perhaps 
run  from  $8.00  to  $20.00  a  day.  If  he  develops  into  a  specialist 
or  becomes  manager  of  the  shop  or  studio,  his  pay  may  be  still 
higher,  depending  on  the  size  of  the  firm,  its  volume  of  business, 
and  its  financial  policy.  The  demand  for  work  is  steady,  and 
there  is  seldom  any  slack  season. 


A8  AN  OCCUPATION  7 

Department  Store.— Should  the  student  enter  the  show-card 
department  of  a  large  retail  store  his  start  will  be  quite  similar 
to  that  in  a  shop  or  studio.    The  character  of  the  work  and  the 
salary  will  be  practically  the  same.    His  future  will  branch  out, 
however,  in  a  different  direction  unless  he  chooses  to  remain 
in  the  card  writing  department.    Window  decorating  is  closely 
allied  to  card  writing  in  retail  stores.    In  small  stores,  the  trim- 
mer may  also  letter  the  display  cards.    In  large  stores,  special 
window  decorators  are  employed  who  are  often  drawn  from  the 
show-card  staff.     Window  publicity  is  carried  on  more  or  less 
in  connection  with  newspaper  advertising,   and   from  window 
dressing  the  trimmer  may  enter  the  advertising  department.    Up 
to  this  stage  his  salary  may  run  from  $25.00  to  $75.00  a  week.    In 
the  advertising  department  he  may  at  first  make  layouts  of  the 
advertisements  from  copy  furnished  him  or  he  may  become  a 
copy  writer.    His  salary  will  correspond  to  that  of  the  higher 
rank  of  window  trimmers.    If  he  finally  works  up  to  the  pasition 
of  advertising  manager,  which  he  may  be  able  to  do  after  a  few 
years'  experience,  his  salary  will  be  from  $3,000  to  $8,000  a  year, 
depending  upon  the  store. 

The  One-man  Shop. — There  are  many  inducements  for  the  be- 
ginner to  launch  out  in  business  for  himself  after  completing 
his  course  of  study.  By  the  time  he  has  completed  his  course 
he  will  have  no  doubt  already  solicited  a  few  odd  jobs  and  be 
fairly  familiar  with  what  customers  most  desire.  The  demand 
is  practically  constant,  as  advertising  is  even  more  necessary  in 
dull  times  than  in  seasons  of  prosperity.  Every  town  offers  an 
opening  for  at  least  one  card  writer.  In  every  town  and  city 
there  are  many  dealers  who  could  be  encouraged  to  make  greater 
use  of  show  cards  than  they  do  if  they  were  properly  solicited. 

Another  inducement  to  consider  is  that  the  original  outlay 
for  an  equipment  need  not  exceed  $10.00.  As  business  develops, 
a  cabinet  with  drawers,  a  better  work  table,  and  an  air  brush 
equipment  may  be  added.  Even  these  need  not  be  very  ex- 
pensive. 

In  addition  to  lettering  cards,  the  man  with  a  shop  or  studio 
of  his  own  can  branch  out  in  other  lines  and  employ  assistants 
to  help  him  to  take  care  of  these  specialties,  Fig.  4.  There  will  be 
opportunities  to  prepare  lantern  slides  for  theater  and  business 
concerns.    Moving  picture  studios  may  hire  him  to  do  work  for 


8 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


them,  although  they  sometimes  employ  a  special  staff  of  their 
own.  The  painting  of  window  backgrounds  on  wall  board  is 
quite  a  common  specialty  also.  This  work  may  be  gradually 
developed  into  a  decorating  service  in  which  for  a  certain  fee, 
store  windows,  convention  halls,  and  street  decoration  will  be 
undertaken.  The  painting  of  signs,  banners,  posters,  and  bill- 
boards is  a  very  natural  adjunct  to  the  show-card  business. 
Then,  too,  independent  shops  may  handle  a  general  lettering 
service,  lettering  newspaper  advertisements,  theater  programs, 
menu  cards,  booklets,  and  pamphlets;  in  fact,  anything  wherein 
hand  lettering  is  practical. 


A8  AN  OCCUPATION  » 

advertising  field.  The  only  limitations  are  those  which  the 
student  cares  to  impose  upon  himself.  If  he  is  studious,  indus- 
trious, and  painstaking  his  future  is  whatever  he  may  wish  to 
make  it. 


h* 


I 


Fig,  4. — A  modern  show-card  and  poster  studio. 

10.  Future  of  the  Trade.— So  great  has  been  the  progress 
in  the  show-card  writing  field  that  it  is  difficult  to  imagine  to 
what  its  future  may  lead.  Not  only  are  card  writers  far  more 
skilful  than  in  the  past,  but  business  men  are  appreciating 
higher  grades  of  work  and  paying  larger  sums  of  money  to 
get  it.  Not  infrequently  well-known  artists  have  been 
called  in  to  assist  in  the  preparation  of  display  material. 
Clippings  pasted  on  cards  for  illustrations  are  giving  way, 
especially  in  theater  lobby  cards,  to  hand  painted  decorative 
drawings  such  as  are  usually  done  by  poster  artists.  There  seems 
to  be  no  limit  to  the  variety  of  cards  which  may  be  attempted  nor 
to  the  pains  which  may  be  taken  in  executing  them.  Advertising 
by  means  of  hand  lettered  cards  holds  forth  for  the  student  of 
card  designing  as  promising  a  future  as  does  any  branch  of  the 


INTENTIONAL  SECOND  EXPOSURE 


8 


SIIOW-CAh'D  WRITIXG 


them,  although  they  sometimes  employ  a  special  staff  of  their 
own.  The  painting  of  window  backgrounds  on  wall  board  is 
quite  a  common  specialty  also.  This  work  may  be  gradually 
developed  into  a  decorating  service  in  which  for  a  certain  fee, 
store  windows,  convention  halls,  and  street  decoration  will  be 
undertaken.  The  painting  of  signs,  banners,  posters,  and  bill- 
boards is  a  very  natural  adjunct  to  the  show-card  business. 
Then,  too,  independent  shops  may  handle  a  general  lettering 
service,  lettering  newspaper  advertisements,  theater  programs, 
meiHi  cards,  booklets,  and  pamphlets;  in  fact,  anything  wherein 
hand  lettering  is  practical. 


Fir..  4. — A  nKKlcrn  show-card  and  poster  studio. 

IC.  Future  of  the  Trade.— So  great  has  been  the  progress 
in  the  show-card  writing  field  that  it  is  difficult  to  imagine  to 
what  its  future  may  lead.  Not  only  are  card  writers  far  more 
skilful  than  in  the  past,  but  business  men  are  appreciating 
higher  grades  of  work  and  paying  larger  sums  of  money  to 
get  it.  Not  infrequently  well-known  artists  have  been 
called  in  to  assist  in  the  preparation  of  display  material. 
Clippings  pasted  on  cards  for  illustrations  are  giving  way, 
especially  in  theater  lobby  cards,  to  hand  painted  decorative 
drawings  such  as  are  usually  done  by  poster  artists.  There  seems 
to  be  no  limit  to  the  variety  of  cards  which  may  be  attempted  nor 
to  the  pains  which  may  be  taken  in  executing  them.  Advertising 
bv  means  of  hand  lettered  cards  holds  forth  for  the  student  of 
i-ard  designing  as  promising  a  future  as  does  any  branch  of  the 


i 


AS  AN  OCCUPATION  9 

advertising  field.  The  only  limitations  are  those  which  the 
student  cares  to  impose  upon  himself.  If  he  is  studious,  indus- 
trious, and  painstaking  his  future  is  whatever  he  may  wish  to 
make  it. 


i 


1 


k 


'     I 


Ml 


I  ^ 


CHAPTER  I 
CONSTRUCTION  OF  ELEMENTARY  LETTERS 

"I    will   study   and  prepare   myself   and 
some  day  my  chance  will  come." 

Abraham   Lincoln. 

2.  Origin  and  Development  of  Lettering.— Lettering  is  one 
of  the  oldest  of  the  Fine  Arts.  The  first  symbols  for  spoken 
words  were  not  letters  as  we  know  letters  but  stiff,  crude  pictures 
painted  or  carved  on  wood  or  stone.     Fig.  5  represents  primi- 


YiQ^    u.— The    origin    of    lettering.      Primitive    man    chiseling 

crude  pictures  on  stone. 

tive  man  chiseling  pictures  on  stone.  These  pictures  were  in 
reality  short  stories  of  battles  or  everyday  incidents  in  the  lives 
of  these  prehistoric  peoples.  Gradually  certain  pictures  were 
used  to  represent  certain  definite  things  and  became  symbols  for 
words  and  names.  These  symbols  developed  in  time  into  let- 
ters. For  this  reason  the  names  of  many  of  the  letters  in  our 
modern  alphabet  may  be  traced  back  to  the  original  names  of  the 
objects  they  first  represented.    The  making  of  pictures,  on  the 

11 


mm 


SnOW-CARD  WRITIXa 


ELEMENTARY  LETTERS 


13 


I 

MIlM} 


other  haiul,  developed  into  the  arts  of  drawing  and  painting, 
while  rarving  on  wood  and  stone  developed  into  sculpture. 
Therefore,  when  the  art  of  picture  writing  is  reviewed,  it  may  be 
said  that  painting,  sculpture,  and  literature  were  daughters  of 
the  mother  art  of  lettering. 

Two  kinds  of  alphabets  developed;  one,  in  which  the  characters 
maintained  their  symbolic  nature,  and  the  other,  in  which  the 
characters  stood  for  certain  sounds.  The  Chinese  alphabet,  with 
a  different  character  for  each  word,  is  an  example  of  the  former. 


YiQ  (J. — ^An  Egyptian  chiseling  liieroglypiiics.  tlio  picture 
writing  of  the  ancient  Egyptian  priests,  on  a  stone 
column. 

while  our  own  alphabet,  representing  as  it  does  a  certain  number 
of  sounds  used  in  conversation,  is  an  example  of  the  latter. 

The  Egyptian  symbols,  Fig.  6,  were  known  as  hieroglyphics. 
These  symbols  were  of  three  kinds.  The  first  kind  consisted  of 
pictures  representing  the  objects  themselves.  The  second  kind 
represented  ideas.  For  example,  an  ostrich  feather  represented 
the  idea  of  truth.  The  third  kind  represented  sounds,  a  hawk 
standing  for  the  sound  of  the  letter  *  *  a. " 

The  Persians  and  Assyrians  used  wedge-shaped  chisels  in  their 
lettering  which  gave  the  name  cuneiform  writing  to  the  char- 
acters they  used.    The  Hebrew,  Phoenician,  and  Greek  alphabets 


were  more  or  less  influenced  by  the  characters  used  in  the  writ- 
ings of  the  Persians,  Assyrians,  and  Egyptians. 

Fifteen  centuries  B.C.  reed  pens  with  the  ends  shaved  thin 
and  Hat  were  used  on  such  materials  as  sheep's  hide,  bark,  and 
papyrus,  a  writing  material  obtained  from  reeds.  Just  as  the 
wedge-shaped  chisels  influenced  the  character  of  the  Persian 
and  Assyrian  writing,  so  the  reed  pen,  which  made  a  stroke 
similar  to  that  of  our  modern  broad  flat  steel  pens,  caused  the 
original  classic  Roman  letters  to  be  written  with  thick  and  thin 
strokes  throughout  the  alphabet.  Practically  all  modern  alpha- 
bets have  developed,  in  one  way  and  another,  from  the  Classic 

Roman. 

About  the  eighth  century  after  Christ  quill  pens  succeeded 
reed  pens.  Knives  were  used  to  whittle  the  quills  into  shape, 
giving  pocket  knives  the  name  of  "pen  knives.''  Printing  by 
type  came  into  use  about  the  time  Columbus  discovered  America, 
while  steel  pens  are  comparatively  recent  tools.  Hand  lettering 
fell  into  disuse  after  the  invention  of  printing  although  uni- 
versally in  use  previous  to  that  date.  The  modern  lettering  tools 
are  much  superior  to  the  pens  used  in  earlier  times,  but  in  spite 
of  this  fact  the  beauty  of  the  old  hand  lettering  of  centuries  past 
has  never  been  excelled. 

Modern  advertising,  with  its  great  demand  for  newspaper, 
magazine,  and  show-oard  **copy,"  has  once  more  brought  hand 
lettering  into  wide  use.  Card  writing,  although  a  few  years  ago 
but  a  branch  of  the  sign  painting  trade,  is  today  recognized  as 
a  form  of  commercial  art,  requiring  a  working  knowledge  of 
advertising  principles,  layout  composition,  and  the  effective  use 
of  color,  in  addition  to  an  ability  to  construct  good  letters. 
Greater  demand  on  the  part  of  the  public  for  better  cards  and 
greater  skill  on  the  part  of  the  card  writers  have  placed  com- 
mercial lettering  on  a  much  higher  level  than  it  was  a  few  years 
ago.  Cheap  styles  of  lettering,  like  tinselled  post-cards,  have 
been  replaced  by  workmanship  of  artistic  qualities,  the  equal  of 
any  found  in  the  field  of  commercial  art. 

2A.    Definitions.— Letter  forms  and  their  component  parts 
are  known  by  certain  names  which  will  be  used  throughout  this 
text.    These  names  with  their  meanings  are  given  below^ 
Letter  Forms 

Capital  letters  (Fig.  7)   (trade  nickname  "caps"). — Letters 


14 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


made  full  height  and  generally  used  only  as  initials  except  in 
such  styles  as  the  Roman. 

Lower  case  letters  (Pig.  7). — Smaller  letters  having  various 
heights  and  used  throughout  the  word  or  for  the  balance  of  the 
word  when  the  initial  is  a  capital.  The  name  comes  from  the 
typesetting  trade,  the  smaller  letters  being  kept  in  the  lower 
frame  of  boxes. 
Guide  Lines  (Fig.  8) 

*^Cap**  line. — Line  bounding  height  of  capitals. 

Base  line. — Line  at  base  of  capitals  and  body  part  of  lower 
case  letters. 

Waist  line. — Line  bounding  height  of  body  part  of  lower 
ease  letters,  at  about  3/5  to  2/3  height  of  ' '  cap. ' ' 

Drop   line. — Line   to   which   long   descending  strokes   are 
dropped. 


Copifot       Low«rco»e 


Fig.  7. — Letter  forms. 


Boap.  Iinft 


Drop    lino. 


Fig.  n. — The  flv«'  diffcront  guide 
lines  used  in  lettering. 


a 


T*'  line. — Line  between  ''cap"  and  waist  lines  at  height  of 
lower  case  t. 
Letter  Elements 

Stroke. —  (a)  That  portion  of  a  letter  formed  with  one  move- 
ment of  the  pen  or  brush. 

(b)  A  thick  line  in  a  letter  containing  both  thick  and  thin 
strokes. 

Stem  (Fig.  9). — The  up  or  down  stroke,  usually  vertical. 

Hairline  (Fig.  9). — A  thin  line  in  a  letter  containing  both 
thick  and  thin  strokes. 

Ascender  (Fig.  9). — The  lower  case  stroke  extending  above 
the  waist  line  to  the  ' '  cap ' '  line.  The  lower  case  letters  having 
ascenders  are  b,  d,  f,  h,  k,  1,  and  t. 

Descender  (Fig.  9). — The  lower  case  stroke  descending  below 
the  base  line  to  the  drop  line.  The  lower  case  letters  having 
descenders  are  g,  j,  p,  q,  and  y. 

Crossbar  (Fig.  9). — Horizontal  line  across  the  body  of  the 
letter. 


ELEMENTARY  LETTERS 


15 


Serif  (spur  or  plug)  (Fig.  9). — Short  overhanging  portion 
at  the  ends  of  a  stroke.  Serifs  were  originally  chisel  marks  cut 
by  a  mason.  They  give  accent  and  finish  to  the  end  of  a 
stroke. 

Face  (Fig.  9). — The  surface  of  a  letter  stroke  itself. 

Lobe  (Fig.  9). — The  round  bellied  section  of  a  letter. 

Kern  (Fig.  9). — The  curved  extremity  to  ascenders  or  de- 
scenders.   Examples :  f ,  j,  and  y. 

Swash  (Fig.  9). — The  curved  tail  stroke  in  such  letters  as 
B  and  Q. 

Cyma  (Fig.  9). — (a)  A  wavy  line  used  to  fill  in  an  empty 
space. 


Ser'rf 
Hairline. 


JtrOesccnder 


B.  Kern . 
Crossbor^J^ 
^Foc•-HL 


Cyma 


5wo3 


Crescen'l'         liolf  Cyma 


t^iG.  9. — Tlie  elementary  parts  of  letters. 


(b)  A  wavy  line  forming  one  of  the  common  strokes  in  Gothic 
styles. 

Half -cyma  (Fig.  9). — An  arc,  thick  and  square  at  one  end 
and  thinning  to  a  point  at  the  other. 

Crescent  stroke  (Fig.  9). — An  arc,  thick  in  the  middle  por- 
tion and  thin  at  the  extremities. 

3.  Elementary  Alphabet. — The  elementary  alphabet  forms 
the  basis  for  practically  all  alphabets.  It  is  shown,  Fig.  10,  in 
both  capitals  and  lower  case  letters.  The  direction  in  which  each 
stroke  was  drawn  is  indicated  by  an  arrow,  the  strokes  being 
numbered  in  the  order  in  which  they  are  most  commonly  made. 
The  student  should  form  the  habit  from  the  first  of  drawing  the 
strokes  of  each  letter  in  a  certain  definite  order.  Drawing  them 
repeatedly  in  the  same  order  makes  the  process  automatic  in  a 
very  short  time.     Furthermore,  the  letters  are  more  likely  to  be 


Hi 


SUOW-Cil'n   W  UJTIXG 


KLEM i:\TA  h'Y  i.KTTElii^ 


17 


iiniforin.  Systematic,  methodical  workmanship  .shouhl  he  the 
constant  aim.  The  strokes  do  not  have  to  he  made  in  the  same 
order  as  shown  in  Fig.  10,  hut  it  is  doubtful  if  any  other  order 
will  be  found  more  suitable  or  more  convenient. 

The  principal  strokes  and  movements  by  which  letters  are  con- 
structed are  few  and  simple  since  they  consist  of  straight  and 
curved  lines.  These  elementary  strokes  are  shown  in  Pig.  11. 
As  letters  are  nothing  more  than  combinations  of  these  simple 
movements,  it  naturally  follows  that  if  one  becomes  adept  at 
forming  these  strokes,  the  convSt ruction  of  letters  from  them  will 
be  a  very  simple  undertaking. 

It  is  well  to  arrange  the  letters  of  the  alphabet  into  groups, 


ELEHENTART  PRINCIPLES  OF  Alt  LETTERS. 


HOTE    Overlap  the  sfnokes 
in  joining  circular  or  oval  — 

elennents-   ^'  ^^^  '^^ 


THUS 


Fig.  11. — The  fundamental  lettering  strokes. 


I 


according  to  the  kind  of  strokes  which  form  their  construction. 
When  this  is  done,  the  capitals  and  the  lower  case  letters  will  be 
grouped  as  in  Fig.  12.  The  first  line  of  capital  letters  consists 
of  rounded  letters,  the  entire  outlines  of  0  and  Q  being 
rounded,  0  and  G  open  on  the  right-hand  side,  and  D  a  closed 
letter. 

The  next  line  of  capital  letters  is  composed  of  straight  strokes. 
The  first  six  letters,  I,  L,  H,  T,  P,  and  E,  are  composed  of 
strokes  which  are  either  vertical  or  horizontal.  In  the  re- 
maining three  letters,  V,  W,  and  X,  the  strokes  are  all  slanted. 

The  third  line  is  composed  of  capital  letters  which  contain 
combinations  of  different  kinds  of  strokes.  The  first  six  letters, 
M,  N,  Z,  Y,  K,  and  A,  contain  combinations  of  vertical,  slanted, 
and  horizontal  straight  strokes.  The  next  five  letters,  J,  U,  P, 
K,  and  B,  contain  curved  and  straight  strokes  combined.    The 


I 


\\ 


ifj 


18 


SHOW-CARD  WRTTING 


last  two  letters,  S  and  &,  are  composed  entirely  of  curved 
strokes. 


Full 


QQ  CG   D 


open 
Round 


Clos«d 


ILHTFE    VWWX 


Perpendicuior 


5nrf«Ai«MT 


Obliqu«. 


MNZYKA  JUPRB  S& 


Sftrolgh-t-  5lTolght  ond   copv«el 

COfiSlNCO 

Elementary      Capitals. 


Curves 


Full 


TT 


Tj-c 


«i^l«l»I«KrJ*I<[ 


Open 


Combined    vvi 

ROUKID. 


i  i 

Atrotght  lince 


m 


rjLVK^A  :v 


Per  p  en  dtcuior 


Oblique 
SrwAieMX 


TFT 


iiliilMilU 


StPQight  ond    curved  Curved 

Combined 

Elementary   Lower  Case. 

Fia.  12. — Classification  of  the  letters  in  tlie  alptial>et. 

When  lower  case  letters  are  compared  with  capital  letters,  the 
first  noticeable  difference  is  the  greater  number  of  rounded 
forms.  These  rounded  forms  are  generally  combined  with  straight 
strokes,  as  in  the  fourth  line,  Fig.  12.    The  only  letter  entirely 


ELEMENTARY  LETTERS  19 

rounded  in  its  outline  is  0,  and  the  only  letter  with  an  open 
rounded  shape  is  c. 

The  fifth  line  is  made  up  of  letters  formed  by  straight  strokes, 
the  first  three  letters,  i,  1,  and  t,  being  limited  to  horizontal  and 
vertical  strokes.  There  is  a  decrease  in  the  number  of  letters 
containing  oblique  strokes,  there  being  six  in  the  lower  case 
and  nine  in  the  capitals.    The  last  line  shows  a  group  of  letters 


Fig.  13. — Ruling  pen  used  for  drawing  border  lines  and  under- 
lining words. 

combining  straight  and  curved  strokes.  The  s  and  the  am- 
persand (&)  do  not  vary  from  capitals  in  any  way  excepting 
size. 

4.  Pens. — All  show-card  lettering  is  done  with  pens  or 
brushes.  So  many  new  types  of  pens  have  been  invented,  espe- 
cially for  lettering  purposes,  that  pens  have  largely  displaced 
brushes  in  lettering,  at  least  on  the  small  cards. 


I    I     I 


Fia.  14. — Soennecken  or  round  writing  pens. 

Ruling  Peris. — Several  different  kinds  of  pens  are  used  in  card 
writing.  For  thin  lines  a  ball  point  pen  is  often  used  as  it  writes 
smoothly  and  rapidly.  For  border  lines  some  card  writers  use 
a  draftsman's  ruling  pen,  Fig.  13.  The  Gisburne  border  ruling 
pen  is  much  lower  priced  than  the  draftsman's  pen  although  it 
is  not  so  long-lived.  This  pen  will  be  more  completely  described 
in  Chap.  VIII. 

When  the  ruling  pen  shown  in  Fig.  13  is  used,  it  is  held  in  a 
vertical  position  and  drawn  along  a  triangle  or  a  T-square.    Tliis 


20 


SHOW-CARD  wifiTixa 


pen  has  a  screw  at  the  side  for  adjusting  the  blades  so  as  to  make 
clean,  even  lines  of  various  weights  and  is  filled  by  touching  the 
blades  with  the  quill  in  the  cork  of  the  ink  bottle.  Care  should 
he  taken  to  keep  the  ink  from  getting  on  the  outside  of  the  nibs 
as  it  is  likely  to  run  under  the  triangle  or  T-square.  If  it  does 
get  on  the  outside  of  the  nibs,  it  may  be  removed  by  stroking  the 
pen  on  a  cloth  or  penwiper.  This  pen  should  not  be  filled  higher 
than  1/8  or  3/16  in.;  otherwise  the  ink  may  be  so  heavy  as  to 
run  down,  causing  a  blot.  By  keeping  the  nibs  moderately  sup- 
plied with  ink  at  all  times  and  refilling  the  pen  before  it  becomes 
entirely  empty,  the  lines  made  will  be  clean-cut  and  uniform. 
Quite  long  lines  can  be  drawn  without  refilling  the  pen,  and,  if 
the  adjusting  screw  is  not  turned,  all  the  lines  will  be  exactly 


ELEMENTARY  LETTERS 


21 


Fiu.    ir>. — rosition    of    Soen- 
necken  pen  in  use. 


the  same  weight.  This  type  of  pen  is  strong  and  durable  and 
will  last  for  years. 

Soennecken  Pens. — Soennecken,  or  round  writing  pens,  Fig. 
14,  are  much  like  ordinary  stub  pens  and  are  used  in  making 
*'01d  English"  and  round  writing  alphabets.  These  pens  are 
generally  held  at  an  angle  of  45  degrees,  Fig.  15,  causing  the 
ends  of  the  strokes  to  be  beveled.  The  thick  and  thin  strokes  of 
the  Roman  and  the  wavy  lines  of  the  *^01d  English''  styles  of 
letters  are  made  automatically  when  the  pen  is  held  in  this  posi- 
tion. Thin  crossbars  are  made  by  holding  the  pen  in  the  ordinary 
writing  position  and  drawing  it  from  left  to  right  edgewise. 
Letters  formed  with  the  pen  in  the  ordinary  writing  position 
will  give  square  ends  to  the  vertical  strokes  and  a  rather  quaint 
appearance  to  Roman  letters. 

Marking  Pens. — Marking  pens,  Fig.  16,  are  also  used  for  alpha- 
bets made  up  of  thick  and  thin  lines.    The  smallest  size  makes 


a  line  about  the  same  weight  as  the  largest  round  writing  pen. 
These  pens  may  be  obtained  in  sizes  running  up  to  7/8  in.  wide. 
The  sliading  pen,  Fig.  17,  is  the  same  as  the  marking  pen  except 
that  one  side  allows  more  ink  to  flow  than  the  other,  giving  two 
tones  to  the  strokes.  Both  the  marking  pen  and  the  shading 
pen  are  filled  by  touching  a  quill  or  a  dropper  between  the  nibs 
in  the  same  way  that  a  ruling  pen  is  filled.  These  pens  may  be 
dipped  into  an  ink  bottle,  but  this  is  not  very  satisfactory  as  the 


Pig.  16. — A  small  size  marking  pen. 

ink  on  the  outside  of  the  nibs  will  have  to  be  wiped  off  on  a  cloth 
before  they  are  used.  They  may  be  cleaned  by  drawing  a  sheet  of 
paper  through  the  nibs.  This,  however,  tends  to  spread  the  nibs 
apart,  and  a  much  better  method  of  cleaning  is  to  hold  the  pen 
under  a  water  faucet  or  rinse  it  in  a  tumbler  of  water.  If  it 
is  to  be  used  immediately  after  it  has  been  cleaned  in  water,  it 
should  be  wiped  dry  with  a  piece  of  cheese  cloth  or  with  a  soft 
cloth  which  is  as  free  as  possible  from  lint.  If  water  is  left  on 
the  pen,  the  first  few  pen  strokes  will  be  somewhat  pale. 


Fig.  17. — Sliading  pen. 

The  Verti-pen,  Fig.  18,  is  a  metal  fountain  marking  pen  with 
which  various  weights  of  lines  can  be  made  without  changing 
the  pen  for  one  of  another  size.  The  handle  contains  an  ink 
reservoir  which  is  filled  by  pressing  down  the  small  lever  on 
the  upper  surface  of  the  handle,  dipping  the  pen  into  a  bottle 
of  ink,  and  letting  the  lever  come  up  again  slowly.  The  handle 
joins  the  pen  part  at  a  slant  of  30  degrees,  so  that  when  the  nibs 
of  the  pen  are  in  a  vertical  position,  the  handle  slopes  from  the 
card  at  about  the  same  angle  as  that  of  a  pencil  or  pen  held  in 
the  ordinary  writing  position.     The  pen  is  also  set  at  an  angle 


*>*> 


^aOWi'ARD  WRITING 


of  30  degrees  horizontally  with  the  handle,  making  it  easier  to 
draw  the  strokes  than  if  the  pen  were  at  right  angles  across  the 
lower  end  of  the  handle.  In  the  ordinary  writing  position  the 
pen  makes  a  stroke  equal  to  tlie  full  width  of  the  nibs,  the  same  as 
any  marking  pen.  The  nibs  are  not  straight  all  along  the  edge, 
however,  but  are  beveled  at  the  corners,  one  bevel  covering  a 
short  distance  along  the  nibs,  the  other  being  comparatively  small 
and  at  the  opposite  corner.    Changing  the  position  of  the  pen  so 


Fio.  18. — Vertl  fountain  lettering  pen. 


that  one  of  these  bevels  comes  in  contact  with  the  paper  changes 
the  weight  of  the  stroke  accordingly.  There  are  three  weights 
of  strokes  possible,  the  full  width  of  the  nibs  making  a  stroke 
like  that  of  a  wide  marking  pen,  the  long  bevel  making  a  stroke 


No  000 


Fio.  19. — Payzant  pen  and  tho  weights  of  lines  drawn  with  various 

sizes  of  this  stjle  of  pen. 

like  that  of  a  marking  pen  of  medium  size,  and  the  corner  bevel 
making  a  narrow,  single  weight  of  line  like  a  round-shoe  Speed- 
ball  pen  or  a  Payzant  pen  of  medium  size.  The  pen  is  cleaned 
by  pressing  out  the  ink  left  in  the  reservoir,  dipping  the  pen  in 
water,  and  pressing  and  releasing  the  filling  lever  several  times. 


ELEMENTARY  LETTERS 


23 


The  pen  may  then  be  left  standing  in  enough  water  to  cover  the 
nibs  until  it  is  ready  to  be  used  again. 

Payzant  Pens. — Payzant  pens,  Fig.  19,  are  of  a  different  type 
altogether  from  the  ordinary  types  of  pens.  They  are  heavily 
built  and  have  a  reservoir  fitted  with  a  hinged  bottom  so  that  they 
may  be  easily  cleaned.    The  nibs  have  flat,  round  ends  and  come 


Fig.  20a. — Speedball  pons  with  round  points. 

in  various  sizes,  the  smallest  size  making  a  line  as  fine  as  an  ordi- 
nary coarse  pen,  the  largest  size  a  line  as  thick  as  a  pencil.  The 
exact  sizes  are  shown  in  the  picture.  These  pens  write  smoothly 
and  rapidly,  the  strokes  being  of  uniform  thickness  and  round  at 
the  ends.  They  are  durable  and  long-lived  and  naturally  cost 
much  more  than  ordinary  pens.  A  Payzant  pen  should  never  be 
dipped  into  the  ink  but  should  be  filled  by  a  quill  or  a  dropper. 


u 


SHOW-CARD  WRITIXG 


One  filling  is  sufficient  for  a  large  amount  of  lettering  or  border 
lines.  A  small  screw  at  the  side  of  the  bowl  permits  adjustment 
of  the  nibs  to  improve  the  flow  of  ink  from  the  pen  when  it  is 
either  too  scanty  or  too  great.  Should  the  pen  become  clogged 
while  it  is  being  used,  the  reservoir  should  be  opened  slightly  and 
the  edge  of  a  piece  of  paper  drawn  between  the  nibs.    After  the 


Fio.  20b. — Speedball  pens  with  square  points. 

pen  has  been  used,  the  reservoir  should  be  opened  and  the  pen 
cleaned  by  wiping  out  the  bowl  with  a  cloth  or  by  rinsing  it  under 
a  water  faucet,  then  drawing  a  piece  of  paper  between  the  nibs. 
If  spurs  or  square  ends  are  desired  on  the  letter  strokes,  they  can 
be  added  with  any  ordinary  pen. 

Speedball  or  Spoonbill  Pens. — Speedball  or  Spoonbill  pens, 
Pigs.  20a  and  20b,  with  round  points  make  the  same  kind  of  a 


ELEMENTARY  LETTERS 


25 


line  as  the  Payzant  pens  but  are  made  in  smaller  sizes.  They  are 
also  made  with  square  points.  These  pens  resemble  ordinary 
pens  but  have  a  round  or  square  shoe  on  the  end.  They  are 
fitted  with  a  shield  that  acts  as  an  ink  reservoir.  The  price  is 
very  low,  being  only  a  few  cents  each. 

Pens  of  this  type  are  known  under  a  variety  of  names.  Each 
manufacturer  calls  his  pen  by  a  different  name,  as  for  example, 
Prang  Spoonbill  pens,  Esterbrook  Speed  pens,  and  Gordon  and 
George  Speedball  pens. 

The  Esterbrook  Lettering  and  Drawing  Speed  pens,  Fig.  21, 
and  Prang  Spoonbill  pens  resemble  an  ordinary  steel  pen  but  are 
different  in  construction.  Instead  of  the  usual  points  the  nibs 
consist  of  two  hemispherical  or  disc-like  flat  surfaces  with  a  fine 


Fig.  21. — Esterbroolj   Lettering  and  Drawing  Speed  pens,  showing 
both  round  and  rectangular  styles  of  nibs. 

split  between  them.  Together  these  disc-like  pieces  form  a  circle 
so  that  whenever  the  pen  is  held  in  a  writing  position  it  produces 
a  solid  circle  of  ink  or  color  on  the  paper,  and  if  it  be  drawn 
along  the  paper,  produces  a  solid  uniform  line  with  rounded 
ends.  Pens  Nos.  6  and  7,  Fig.  21,  have  rectangular  nibs.  The 
ends  of  the  strokes  made  with  these  styles  are  square  instead  of 
round.  The  ink  reservoir  holds  sufficient  ink  for  a  stroke  of 
considerable  length,  which  makes  it  unnecessary  to  dip  the  pen 
into  the  ink  bottle  frequently. 

The  Gordon  and  George  Speedball  pens.  Figs.  20a  and  20b, 
have  a  double  reservoir  fountain  and  tip-retainer  over  the  ex- 
treme point  of  the  shoe,  preventing  any  excess  flow  of  ink  or 
color.  The  Speedball  pen  operates  easily,  and  letters  can  be  made 
rapidly  with  it.  It  produces  a  stroke  of  uniform  width  through- 
out when  drawn  in  any  direction.    To  draw  letters  made  up  of 


m 


BHOWCAIW  WRfTIXG 


thick  and  thin  strokes,  as  in  Roman  letters,  the  style  A  or  square 
nibbed  style  is  simply  turned  over  on  its  back.  The  thick  and 
thin  strokes  can  then  be  easily  formed. 

Any  india  ink  or  opaque  water  color  diluted  to  flowing  con- 
sistency is  suitable  for  any  of  these  pens.  It  is  not  necessary 
to  pencil  in  the  letters  first.  However,  unless  one  is  accustomed 
to  working  in  such  a  direct  manner,  it  is  better  to  sketch  in  the 
borders  and  letters  lightly  before  inking  them  in.    The  inking-in 


1' 


Fig.  22.— Side  view  of  correct  writing  position  for  lettering  pens  of 
the  flat  shoe  type.  Note  the  points  where  th.-  hand  and  pen  touch 
the  paper.  ^ 

process  can  then  be  carried  on  with  a  greater  degree  of  confi- 
dence. 

These  pens  are  all  used  in  ordinary  penholders  and  are  dipped 
into  the  ink  bottle  like  an  ordinary  pen.  The  Spoonbill  pen, 
however,  works  best  when  it  contains  only  a  moderate  amount  of 
ink.  The  under-side  of  the  shoe  should  be  rested  on  the  ink 
bottle  to  drain  off  the  surplus  ink.  This  is  not  so  necessary  with 
the  Speedball  pens  as  the  double  reservoir  regulates  the  ink 
supply,  a  particular  feature  of  that  pen. 

The  Spoonbill,  Speed,  or  Speedball  pens  should  be  held  so  that 
the  shoe  rests  evenly  on  the  paper,  with  the  holder  in  practicaUy 
the  same  position  that  one  holds  an  ordinary  writing  pen,  as 


J'JL/JMJJXTARY  LETTERS 


27 


sliown  in  Figs.  22  and  23.  The  correct  angle  may  be  acquired 
by  first  making  a  few  dots.  The  ink  flows  best  when  all  lines  are 
drawn  downward  or  from  the  left  to  the  right  with  a  full,  slow 
arm  movement,  where  the  entire  arm  slides  over  the  desk  and  the 


;a 


Fig.  23. — View  from  above  of  the 
correct  writing  position  for 
pens  of  the  flat  shoe  type. 

fingers  and  wrist  are  kept  rigid.     For  small  lettering,  a  finger 
movement  with  a  slight  arm  action  is  often  used. 

Smooth  paper  or  bristol  board  provides  the  best  lettering  sur- 
face. The  paper  should  be  placed  squarely  on  the  table,  slightly 
to  the  right  of  the  writer.     Turning  the  paper  sidewise  as  in 


ABOVE  -^   UNDER  StOE 

Fig.  24. — An  ink  retainer  made  from  a  rubber  band. 

hand  writing  makes  it  difficult  to  see  if  the  strokes  are  being 
kept  vertical  and  in  alignment. 

The  pen  movement  should  rest  at  the  beginning  and  the  end 
of  each' stroke  to  insure  well  rounded  tips  on  the  letter  strokes. 
To  obtain  a  uniform  thickness  of  line,  the  pen  should  be  pressed 
down  firmly  on  the  paper.  The  penholder  should  be  held  firmly, 
but  it  .should  not  be  gripped  too  tightly. 


if 


28 


f^ITOWCAh'D  WRITIXa 


The  forms  of  the  letter  styles  for  which  these  i)eiis  arc  best 
adapted  should  be  thoroughly  studied,  each  letter  well  analyzed, 
and  the  direction  of  each  stroke  noted.     It  is  a  good  policy  to 


Fig.  2.". — Doublo-ond  penholder  with  ink  retainers. 

practice  drawing  the  strokes  in  different  directions,  endeavoring 
to  become  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  pen. 

Havflh'nr/  Pens. — A  pen,  w^hen  new,  has  a  slight  film  of  oil  on 
the  surface  and  does  not  take  ink  easily.     Rubbing  it  with 


I 


J 


Fig.   2r». — Round  ferrule  Red   Sable  brushes. 

damp  chalk  or  darting  it  through  a  match  flame  will  remove 
this  film.  The  stiffness  may  be  reduced  by  holding  it  in  the 
flame  for  two  or  three  seconds  and  then  plunging  it  into  water. 
This  shortens  the  life  of  the  pen  but  makes  it  more  suitable 
for  lettering  purposes.    A  pen  is  usually  wiped  on  a  cloth  or 


ELEMEXTAHY  LETTERS 


29 


chamois  although  it  will  last  longer  and  write  better  if  it  is 
rinsed  in  water  instead. 

When  a  Soennecken  or  round  waiting  pen  is  used,  not  much  ink 
should  be  kept  on  the  pen  as  thin  strokes  cannot  be  successfully 
made  unless  the  pen  is  nearly  dry.  Fa*stening  a  rubber  band 
around  the  nibs,  as  in  Fig.  24,  is  one  of  the  simplest  ways  of 
regulating  the  ink  supply.     The  band  permits  just  enough  ink 


Fig.  27.— Flat  ferrule  Red  Sable  brushes. 

to  flow  to  make  lettering  easy.  Some  card  writers  wind  a  rubber 
band  around  the  penholder  or  slip  a  short  piece  of  rubber  tubing 
over  it  to  make  it  more  comfortable  to  hold  in  the  fingers. 

There  are  penholders  made  which  will  hold  pens  at  both  ends 
of  the  holder,  Fig.  25.  These  holders  are  provided  with  simple 
ink  retainers  which  regulate  the  ink  supply  in  much  the  same 
way  as  a  rubber  band  around  the  nibs. 

5.  Brmhes,— Red  Sahle  Brushes.— Red  Sable  brushes  are  the 
best  for  show-card  writing.  The  best  grade  is  imported  from 
Russia,  and  comes  in  two  styles,  round,  Pig.  26,  and  flat,  Fig.  27, 


w 


sriow-cAiw  WKirixG 


F.WEBER  ^CO 


.WEBER  ZQQ 


F  WEBER  f  CO 


F.WEBER  eCO 


F.WEBER   LZ 


Fig.  28. — Script  or  "rigger"  brushes. 


Fit:.  20. — rrench  camel's-halr  Japanner's  lettering  pencils  in 

quills. 


ELEMENTARY  LETTER  SI 

each  having  square  ends.  As  many  as  eighteen  different  sizes 
of  the  round  brushes  are  made.  Ten  of  these  in  almost  their 
exact  sizes  are  shown  in  Fig.  26.  The  flat  style,  Fig.  27,  comes 
in  about  half  a  dozen  sizes,  ranging  from  i/4  to  1  in.  in  width. 
Two  or  three  round  Red  Sable  brushes  of  different  sizes  and  a 
flat  1/4  in.  brush  are  sufficient  for  the  first  brush  equipment. 
i^cript  or  '"Rigger"  Brushes.— ^Qvipt  brushes,   Fig.  28,   are 


Fig.  30.— Mixed  camel's-  and  ox-hair  brushes  for  oil  and  japan  on  oilcloth 

muslin,  or  paper. 

long,  narrow,  Red  Sable  brushes  used  for  script  lettering,  out- 
lining, or  any  work  requiring  neat,  graceful  strokes.  They  are 
made  in  half  a  dozen  sizes  and  often  go  by  the  name  of  ''riggers'' 
since  artists  use  this  style  of  brush  in  painting  fine  lines  such  as 
found  in  pictures  of  ship  rigging. 

CameVs-kair  Brushes.— C?imeV^-h^\r  brushes,  Fig.  29,  are  used 
for  lettering  with  either  japan  or  oil  colors.  The  best  grades 
are  handmade  by  peasants  in  France.  They  are  not  so  satisfac- 
tory for  water  colors  as  Red  Sable  brushes  as  they  lose  their 
elasticity  in  water,  but  they  are  much  cheaper.     The  hair  in  the 


S2 


SffOW-ri  RD   WRJTJXa 


ELEMENT  A  RY  LETTERS 


briislies  is  from  %  to  V/iy  in.  long  and  is  set  in  quills.  These 
quills  can  be  slipped  over  wooden  handles  which  may  be  pur- 
chased separately.  Some  styles  are  not  set  in  quills  but  in  metal 
ferrules  fastened  to  wooden  handles  the  same  as  any  ordinary 
brush. 

Other  Styles  of  Brushes. — Gamers-  and  ox-hair  are  sometimes 
blended  in  the  same  brush.  Fig.  30,  the  ox-hair  adding  to  the 


Fig.  31. — Flat,  chisel,  ox-hair  sign  writer  for 
banners  and  posters. 

.spring  in  the  hair.  The  camel's-hair,  being  clieaper,  makes  the 
brush  less  expensive  than  one  containing  ox-hair  only.  Black 
sable  brushes  are  higher  in  price  than  camel's-hair  brushes  and 
are  limited  to  use  with  japan  and  oil  colors.  Ox-hair  brushes 
may  be  used  for  any  kind  of  color.  Ox-hair  and  black  sable 
styles  are  used  on  paper,  muslin,  or  oilcloth  in  making  banners 
and  posters,  and  for  this  reason  they  are  often  called  muslin 
brushes.     A  flat,  chisel,  ox-hair  sign  writer  is  shown  in  Fig.  31. 


33 


Fir,,  oii. — *'ast'  for  holding  lirushes  when  thej'  are 

not  in  use. 

Care  of  Brushes, — Brushes  that  have  been  used  for  water 
color  should  never  be  used  for  oil  or  japan,  neither  should 
brushes  that  have  been  used  for  oil  be  used  for  water  color. 
Water  color  brushes  should  be  thoroughly  washed  out  in  water 
immediately  after  use  before  the  color  has  any  chance  to  dry  in 
the  hair.  If  the  color  has  already  started  to  dry,  it  Ls  best  to 
soak  the  brush  awhile  in  water  before  washing  it,  in  order  to 
avoid  breaking  the  fine  hairs.  Brushes  used  in  oil  or  japan 
should   be  cleaned   thoroughly   in  turpentine   so   as  to   remove 


every  particle  of  eoloi*.  After  all  the  color  is  removed,  vaseline 
may  be  worked  into  the  bristles  to  keep  the  brushes  in  perfect 
condition.  After  brushes  are  cleaned  they  should  be  laid  flat  in 
a  tray  or  case,  Fig.  32,  or  put  in  a  jar  with  the  bristles  up.  They 
should  never  be  stood  on  end  as  this  bends  the  bristles  out  of 
shape  and  ruins  them. 

6.    Colors. — Nowadays  show-card  writers  as  a  rule  do  not  mix 
their  own  colors,  as  mixing  colors  requires  time  and  skill  and  the 


1  limTTT  i 


Sfvcw(ard 


BLACK 


,PRUNN.Kl|M 


CHICAGO  U.S  A 


Fig.  33. — Glass  Jar  of  prepared 
color. 

results  are  apt  to  be  uncertain.  Prepared  colors  are  purchased  in 
glass  jars,  Fig.  33,  and  may  be  used  full  strength  or  slightly 
diluted  with  water  as  necessary.  They  are  made  in  as  many  as 
two  dozen  colors,  but  black,  white,  red,  yellow,  and  blue  are  all 
that  are  really  necessary  for  the  beginner.  When  other  colors 
are  desired,  mixtures  may  be  made  from  these,  or  additional 
colors  purchased. 

7.    Inks. — Colored  inks  are  not  often  used,  as  show-card  colors 
are  cheaper.    Inks  are  also  more  or  less  transparent  and  unless 


I'll 


I 


1 1 


f 


34 


mow  C  Alt  D  WRITING 


applied  in  two  or  three  coats  the  points  where  the  strokes  meet 
or  overlap  appear  darker.  India  ink  is  generally  used  for  black 
lines,  especially  when  a  pen  is  used.  It  is  opaque  and,  therefore, 
one  coat  is  sufficient  to  show  an  even,  black  tone. 

8.  Cardboard. — Six-  to  ten-ply  bristol  board  is  used  for  white 
cards.  This  is  usually  [)ureliase<I  in  sheets  22  by  28  in.  or  some 
similar  size  Mat,  poster,  railroad,  and  mounting  boards  are 
used  for  colored  cards.    These  may  be  had  in  various  colors,  in 


Fig.  r.4. —  A  convenient  type  of  student's 
di'awini;  table. 

ilat,  mottled,  or  pattern  effects.  The  sheets  measure  as  large  as 
30  by  40  in.  Cardboard  may  be  purchased  from  printers,  picture 
stores,  or  show-card  supply  houses.  The  student  should  familiar- 
ize himself  with  the  different  kinds  of  cardboard  and  the  sizes 
in  which  they  are  made. 

9.  Student's  Materials. — There  are  many  different  types  of 
drawing  tables,  but  the  one  shown  in  Fig.  34  is  well  adapted  for 
home  study  purposes.  This  table  has  a  small  shelf  on  which 
to  place  the  color  or  ink.  The  top  is  of  ample  size  to  hold  the 
drawing  board  and  may  be  raised  and  lowered  to  whatever  angle 


ELEMENTARY  LETTERS 


35 


seems  most  satisfactory.  When  not  in  use,  the  table  may  be 
folded  and  set  aside. 

The  drawing  board,  Fig.  35,  is  made  of  several  pieces  of  well- 
seasoned,  straight-grained  pine  glued  together.  Grooved  cleats 
fastened  at  the  ends  keep  the  board  from  warping,  the  grooves 
permitting  the  board  to  expand  and  contract  without  spoiling  its 
shape.  The  board  should  measure  about  20  by  24  in.  This  is 
large  enough  to  fit  average  needs  and  not  so  large  as  to  be 
cumbersome.  When  the  board  is  in  use,  the  long  side  of  it  is 
placed  next  to  the  body.  When  it  is  stored  away,  it  should  not  be 
put  in  a  damp  place,  behind  a  radiator,  or  near  a  stove,  as  this 
may  cause  it  to  warp  in  spite  of  the  end  cleats. 

The  T-square  (frontispiece)  consists  of  a  head  and  blade  set  at 
right  angles  to  each  other  and  is  used  for  drawing  horizontal 


■ 

I 

I 


Fig.  35. — Drawing  board  with  end  cleats. 


guide  lines  and  border  lines.  Almost  all  T-squares  have  a  solid 
head,  but  some  are  provided  with  a  movable  head  which  permits 
setting  the  T-square  so  that  the  blade  wdll  make  a  different  angle 
than  a  right  angle.  Slanted  lines  may  then  be  drawn  instead  of 
horizontal  ones.  The  head  of  the  T-square  is  placed  against  the 
left-hand  edge  of  the  board  and  held  there  with  the  left  hand 
while  the  lines  are  drawn  along  the  upper  edge  of  the  blade  with 
the  right  hand.  A  left-handed  person  may  place  the  head  against 
the  right-hand  edge  of  the  drawing  board  and  draw  the  lines  with 
the  left  hand.  The  upper  edge  of  the  blade  should  be  kept  smooth 
and  free  from  nicks,  or  the  blade  will  become  unfit  for  ruling 
good  lines. 

Vertical  and  slanted  guide  lines  may  be  drawn  with  the  tri- 
angle, Fig.  36.  One  edge  of  the  triangle  slants  at  an  angle  of 
30  degrees  and  is  useful  for  drawing  guide  lines  for  slanted 
letters  of  this  angle.  The  other  edges  may  be  used  when  vertical 
lines  are  drawn,  the  longer  edge  being  preferable. 

To  use  the  triangle  the  short  edge  is  set  against  the  upper  edge 


jl 


u 


SHOW-CARD  WRITIXO 


of  the  T-square  and  then  slid  along.  The  blade  of  the  T-square 
is  horizontal  when  the  head  is  held  elase  against  the  end  of  the 
board.  In  that  position  lines  drawn  along  the  edges  of  the  tri- 
angle will  be  cither  vertical  or  at  an  angle  of  30  degi-ees.  All 
guide  lines  whether  vertical  or  horizontal  should  be  drawn  away 
from  the  body  rather  than  towards  it.    It  is  better  to  hold  both 


Pig.  36. — Trian- 
gle used  for 
drawing  guide 
lines. 

the  triangle  and  the  blade  of  the  T-square  with  the  left  hand  than 
to  try  to  manipulate  the  triangle  with  the  right  hand  and  still 
Hold  the  head  of  the  T-square  with  the  left. 

The  triangle  should  not  be  used  in  drawing  the  actual  letter 
stroke.s.  They  should  always  be  drawn  freeliand.  However,  if 
guide  lines  are  drawn  at  short  intervals  they  aid  the  eye  in 


ttT 


Fiu.  o7. — Tliutub  tack  lifur  and  thumb 
tacks. 

keeping  the  strokes  parallel,  although  an  experienced  card  writer 
is  usually  able  to  do  this  with  no  mechanical  aids  whatever. 

^lanilla  paper  is  suitable  for  practice  paper  but  bristol  board 
is  better  for  neat,  finished  work.  Thumb  tacks  are  used  to  hold 
the  paper  or  cardboard  flat  on  the  drawing  board.  As  the  tacks 
are  somewhat  difficult  to  remove  with  the  fingers,  a  thumb  tack 
lifter.  Fig.  37,  should  be  used.  To  avoid  marring  the  cardboard 
with  unsightly  holes,  the  tacks  may  be  set  a  short  distance  out 


ELEMENT  A  HY  LETTERS 


37 


from  the  edge,  the  pressure  from  the;  wide,  flat  lieads  of  the  tacks 
being  sutTicient  to  hold  the  card  in  place. 

The  pencil  or  stick  of  charcoal  should  be  kept  well  sliai-i)ened 
by  rubbing  it  on  a  pencil  pointer.  Fig.  38.  When  the  pencil  or 
charcoal  becomes  too  short  to  use  conveniently,  it  should  be  in- 
serted into  a  porte  crayon  or  crayon  holder.  Fig.  39,  making  it 
unnecessary  to  select  a  longer  pencil  or  a  new  stick  of  charcoal. 

10.  Learning  to  Letter. — It  should  always  be  borne  in  mind 
that  there  is  only  one  way  by  wliich  proficiency  in  card  writing 


Fig.  38. — Sandpappr  pad  for  pointing  ponrils  and  charcoal 

sticks. 

can  be  attained ;  that  is,  by  conscientious  practice.  The  fingers 
must  be  trained  to  handle  the  brushes  and  pens  with  facility 
and  ease. 

One  should  learn  to  letter  without  a  copy  to  work  from.  Even 
the  most  inexperienced  person  can  copy  letters  well  by  taking 
a  great  deal  of  time  and  pains,  but  to  become  successful  in  letter- 
ing, the  different  forms  of  letters  must  be  firmly  fixed  in  mind 
so  that  they  may  be  neatly  and  accurately  drawn. 


Fig.   39. — Porte  crayon  or  crayon  Iiolder. 

In  the  beginning,  the  elementary  strokes,  Fig.  11,  page  17, 
should  be  practiced  as  often  as  possible  both  with  a  pen  and  with 
a  brush.  The  letters  in  the  alphabet.  Fig.  10,  page  16,  should 
be  practiced  also,  taking  one  letter  at  a  time  and  practicing  it 
until  it  can  be  made  neatly  and  easily  without  looking  at  the 
copy.  The  direction  of  each  stroke  and  the  order  in  which  it  is 
made  are  shown  in  the  figure.  After  the  different  letters  of  the 
alphabet  have  been  mastered,  the  letters  may  then  be  grouped  into 
words. 

In  combining  letters  into  words  and  sentences  one  rule  needs 
to  be  kept  in  mind — the  letters  must  be  kept  close  together.  Be- 
ginners invariably  make  the  mistake  of  cramping  the  shape  of 


38 


SffOWCARn   WRfTIXCr 


f 


I 


the  letters  and  spacing  them  too  far  apart,  as  shown  in  Fig.  40. 
Sufficient  space,  however,  should  be  allowed  between  the  words 
to  make  them  stand  out  clearly  and  distinctly  from  each  other. 
When  letters  are  grouped  into  words  the  difficulty  of  spacing 
the  letters  correctly  presents  itself.  The  difference  in  the  shape  of 
adjoining  letters  in  a  word  makes  it  necessary  to  vary  the  spac- 
ing between  the  letters  if  the  lettering  is  to  be  kept  at  its  best. 
The  letters  LAV  may  be  taken  as  an  example  of  difficult  spac- 
ing.   The  space  between  A  and  V  will  be  uniform  from  the  top 
to  the  bottom,  but  the  space  between  L  and  A  will  be  much  wider 
at  the  top  than  at  the  bottom,  even  though  the  letters  are  set  the 
same  distance  apart  along  the  base.    To  space  these  three  letters 
properly,  the  letter  V  should  be  set  a  little  further  to  the  right 
80  that  it  will  not  appear  to  be  too  close  to  A. 

beginnQTs'  Cancb^s 

alfcdfhopci  a  vvx/. 

Fig.  40. — Errors  to  avoid  in  lettering. 

There  is  no  set  rule  governing  the  distance  between  letters 
so  as  to  make  the  spacing  appear  even.  The  eye  alone  must 
judge  of  this.  The  only  satisfactory  rule  that  may  be  given  is 
to  space  the  letters  so  that  the  words  at  a  short  distance  will 
appear  as  an  even  gray  tone.  If  the  letters  are  improperly 
spaced,  the  words  will  appear  spotty  rather  than  even  in  tone. 
This  rule  should  be  applied  to  all  lettering  until  proficiency  in 
the  spacing  of  letters  in  words  is  acquired. 

There  are  sevei-al  errors,  common  to  most  students  of  lettering, 
which  should  be  avoided.  The  apex  of  the  capital  letter  A  is 
too  often  drawn  over  to  the  right,  giving  the  letter  a  tilted  ap- 
pearance. Letters  consisting  of  straight  lines  are  generally  drawn 
correctly,  but  curved  letters  seem  more  difficult.  C  and  G  are 
often  slanted  and  the  top  curve  flattened.  This  is  also  true  of 
S.  The  upper  lobe  of  S  is  made  too  large  and  too  one-sided, 
giving  it  a  slanted  appearance.  The  upper  lobe  of  B  is  also  made 
too  large.     These  errors  and  others  are  indicated  in  Fig.  40. 


ELEMENTARY  LETTERS 


3!) 


Daily  practice  is  essential  while  learning  to  letter.  Nothing 
can  take  its  place  since  the  muscles  must  become  accustomed  to 
making  the  strokes  without  any  strain  or  mental  effort.  The  hand 
should  be  trained  to  make  the  letters  without  thought,  the  mind 
giving  its  attention  to  spacing  and  general  effectiveness. 

Punctuation  and  spelling  should  be  watched  carefully.  When 
the  mind  is  on  the  making  of  the  letters,  words  are  often  mis- 

illlllliiiiiiiHilili 

//////A\\\\  X  Z 
A\\\W///WV 


Fig.  41. — Exercises  in  maicing  brush  and  pen  strol^es. 

spelled.  When  the  card  is  read,  such  errors  are  quickly  noted  and 
bad  impressions  result. 

The  figures  for  price  tags  and  price  marks  should  be  displayed 
well  and  the  dollar  sign  made  small.  The  figures  are  the  im- 
portant features  on  such  a  card,  and  a  large  dollar  sign  is  a  waste 
of  space. 

The  sheet  of  cardboard  should  not  be  revolved.  Beginners 
sometimas  do  this  so  that  certain  letters  and  figures  may  be 
formed  more  easily.  Some  card  writers  find  it  convenient  to 
slant  the  card  while  making  Italic  letters.    With  this  exception, 


I  .A 


40 


8H0WrAr?D  WRITIXG 


the  cardboard  should  be  kept  squarely  in  front  and  never  re- 
volved nor  slanted  from  a  horizontal  or  a  vertical  position. 

All  lettering  should  be  laid  out  first  with  a  soft  pencil  or  stick 
of  charcoal.  Guide  lines  always  should  be  carefully  ruled  in. 
The  letters,  however,  need  be  only  lightly  and  roughly  sketched. 
They  do  not  need  to  be  pencilled  in  detail.  It  is  only  necessary 
to  know  roughly  the  location  of  the  letters  and  the  space  the 
worils  are  to  occupy.  The  details  can  be  worked  in  or  rear- 
ranged during  the  process  of  inking  in  the  colors  with  the  brush 
or  pen.  The  pencil  or  charcoal  should  be  kept  sharp  on  a  strip 
of  sandpaper  or  a  pencil  pointer.  Pencil  lines  may  be  removed 
with  artgum  after  the  card  is  finished  without  injuring  the  letter. 


Fig.  42. — Curved  line  made  by 
twirling  the  brush  during 
the  stroke. 

In  case  charcoal  lines  are  used,  tlicy  may  be  dusted  off  with  a  rag. 

A  set  of  exercises  involving  all  of  the  elementary  strokes  is 
given  in  Fig.  41,  the  arrows  indicating  the  direction  in  which  to 
draw  each  stroke.  In  the  alphabet  shown  in  Pig.  10,  page  16, 
the  direction  of  each  stroke  Is  not  only  shown  but  the  order  in 
which  to  make  it  is  also  indicated.  If  this  figure  is  followed  and 
the  strokes  are  drawn  each  time  in  the  same  order,  the  drawing 
of  the  letters  will  become  more  nearly  automatic  and  they  will  be 
more  likely  to  be  uniform  in  appearance. 

Before  the  strokes  shown  in  Fig.  41  are  practiced  parallel 
upper  and  lower  guide  lines  should  be  ruled  on  paper  with  a 
pencil  or  a  sharply  pointed  charcoal,  or  a  lettering  tablet  used. 
Manilla  paper  Ls  satisfactory  for  practice  work  and  is  somewhat 
cheaper  than  heavy  white  drawing  paper  of  the  better  grade. 

If  a  brush  is  used,  it  should  not  be  gripped  too  firmly.  It  may 
be  held  either  like  a  pen  or  like  a  chisel,  as  the  style  of  the  letter 


ELEMENTARY  LETTERS 


41 


requires.  When  curved  strokes  are  formed,  Fig.  42,  the  ferrule 
may  be  slightly  twirled  or  rolled  in  the  fingers  instead  of  trying 
to  twist  the  entire  hand  while  the  lobe  of  the  letter  is  being 
formed.  Some  card  writers  prefer  to  letter  with  the  extreme  tip 
of  the  brush  while  others  prefer  to  hold  the  brush  down  on  the 
paper  somewhat  and  draw  it  along.  Card  writers  who  use  the 
latter  method  believe  that  it  tends  to  keep  the  stroke  smoother  and 
more  uniform  in  width.  The  brush  should  be  lifted  up  vsharply 
off  the  paper  at  the  end  of  the  stroke  to  give  the  stroke  a  square 
tip.  It  should  not  be  handled  gingerly  but  should  be  used  with  a 
strong  swinging  free  movement  from  the  very  beginning,  even 
though  the  results  at  first  look  decidedly  amateurish.  It  should 
be  kept  well  filled  with  color  or  much  the  same  effect  will  result. 
Care  should  be  taken,  however,  to  avoid  overloading  the  brush. 
Success  in  lettering  depends  almost  entirely  upon  the  amount 
of  practicing  done.  New  and  shorter  ways  of  doing  things  keep 
suggesting  themselves  to  those  who  spend  considerable  time  in 
practicing  exercises  and  letters.  First  attempts  almost  always 
appear  discouraging,  but  if  these  are  kept  and  compared  with 
work  done  later  on  the  improvement  will  be  easily  noticed. 


H 


4 


CHAPTER  II 
HISTORY  OP  MODERN  STYLES  OP  LETTERING 

"It  is  necessary  that  yon  acquire  a 
knowledge  and  understanding  of  .  .  . 
historic  styles  so  as  not  to  use  incongru- 
ous forms  in  any  one  design." 

Joseph  Almars. 

11.  Value  of  Historical  Viewpoint. — There  is  such  a  multi- 
plicity of  alphahets  and  type  forms  today  that  it  is  beyond  th© 
average  show-card  writer  to  memorize  them  all.  He  should, 
however,  become  acquainted  with  the  history  and  characteristics 
of  certain  standard  alphabets.  It  is  not  necessary  to  make  an 
exhaustive  study  of  all  alphabet  forms,  but  since  show-card  alpha- 
bets are  simply  the  older  alphabets  made  over  for  luse  with 
show-card  pens  and  brushes  some  study  of  these  first  types  is 
necessary.  An  acquaintance  with  these  and  a  mastery  of  the 
elementary  alphabet,  Fig.  10,  page  16,  are  sufficient  to  meet 
ordinary  needs.  The  same  elementary  strokes  are  used  in  prac- 
tically all  styles,  and  the  problem  of  spacing  is  much  the  same  in 
any  style. 

The  characteristics  of  the  different  alphabets  have  been  influ- 
enced by  national  temperaments  and  the  periods  of  history  during 
which  they  were  developed.  These  influences  were  so  widely 
different  that  the  resulting  alphabets  are  so  dissimilar  as  to  make 
it  impossible  in  some  cases  to  use  two  of  them  harmoniously  to- 
gether. For  example,  the  Classic  Roman,  Fig.  43,  and  the 
Gothic,  Fig.  46,  page  52,  are  unlike  in  spirit  and  appearance. 
They  originated  differently,  in  different  countries,  at  different 
periods  of  history,  and  have,  as  far  as  appearance  goes,  little  in 
common  with  one  another. 

12.  Characteristics    of    the    Classic    Roman. — The    Classic 

Roman  was  the  earliest  style  from  which  the  various  modem 

alphabets  were  developed.     It  was  first  made  entirely  of  capitals, 

the  lower  case  Roman  letters  not  coming  into  common  use  until 

after  the  invention  of  printing  by  type.     These  capital  letters 

were  at  first  cut  in  stone,  or  written  on  parchment  with  a  reed 

pen  held  at  an  angle  so  that  the  upstrokes  and  the  crossbars 

43 


Mi 


44 


SnOW-CA  RD  WJ^fTlXG 


H 


c 

;^ 

H 

db 

n 


□ 


'II 


If 

a 


I  II 

•    I  • 


» 


^ 


FiO.  43. — Classic  Roman  alphabet. 


HISTORY  OF  LETTERING 


4S 


were  thin  and  the  downstrokes  broad.  The  modern  forms  of  the 
Roman  alphabet  differ  very  little  from  this  original  form.  The 
letters  are  so  well  designed  that  very  few  modifications  can  be 
made  without  making  the  alphabet  noticeably  different  in  char- 
acter. 

The  French,  after  adopting  the  Eoman,  treated  the  form  rather 
freely.  The  English  treated  it  with  more  reserve.  Each  nation 
in  turn  put  something  of  its  own  personality  into  the  Roman 
form  as  the  style  came  into  greater  use. 

In  studying  the  Classic  Roman  style,  Fig.  43,  one  notices  first 
that  the  letters  tend  to  be  square  in  their  proportions  and  round 
and  full  in  character.  This  shape  is  generally  considered  the 
easiest  to  read. 

Another  characteristic  which  distinguishes  the  Roman  style 
of  lettering  from  all  other  styles  is  that  it  is  composed  of  thick 
and  thin  strokes.  As  nearly  all  of  the  vertical  strokes  are 
downstrokes,  these  strokes  are  nearly  all  drawn  thick.  In 
cases  where  the  vertical  strokes  are  followed  by  downstrokes, 
as  in  M  and  N,  the  vertical  strokes  are  drawn  thin.  All  slanted 
downstrokes  are  thick  including  the  one  in  Z.  This  letter  would 
appear  heavy  and  awkward  if  the  slanted  stroke  were  thin 
and  the  horizontal  strokes  thick.  Slanted  upstrokes  are  always 
thin.  Thick  strokes  are  not  joined  to  one  another  but  to  thin 
strokes,  as  in  K,  M,  and  the  letters  containing  crossbars. 

The  circular  construction  of  the  lobes  is  indicated  in  Fig.  43, 
in  the  letters  B,  0,  D,  and  G.  This  figure  shows  the  construc- 
tion of  each  letter  when  accurately  built  up.  In  show-card 
writing,  letters  are  not  laboriously  ** built  up"  but  are  written 
freely  and  rapidly.  The  painstaking  accuracy  of  *' built  up" 
letters  is  not  attempted. 

The  location  of  the  crossbars  should  be  noted.  If  they  were 
drawn  at  the  middle  of  the  height,  they  would  have  the  appear- 
ance of  being  below  the  center.  In  A,  which  is  a  pointed  letter, 
if  the  crossbar  were  drawn  at  the  middle  of  the  height  it  would 
appear  to  be  above  the  center.  For  that  reason  the  crossbar  is 
lowered  instead  of  raised.  The  following  letters  should  be 
noted :  A,  B,  E,  P,  H,  K,  P,  R,  X,  and  Y.  P  and  E  are  often 
drawn  with  larger  lobes  than  shown.  In  the  more  modern 
forms,  S  is  usually  drawn  wider.  The  crossbar  in  E  is  some- 
times lowered  in  present  day  work,  but  this  should  not  be  done 


I 


46 


SHOW-CARD  WRITIXO 


u 


it 


without  good  reasons  for  doing  so.    The  construction  of  the 
serifs  used  in  this  figure  is  shown  in  F. 

13.  Construction  of  the  Classic  Roman.— Since  the  Classic 
Roman  letters  approach  a  square  in  their  general  proportions, 
a  square  may  be  used  in  constructing  the  letters.  This  square 
should  be  divided  into  nine  equal  spaces  each  way  from  top  to 
bottom  and  from  side  to  side.  Each  space  will  be  equal  to  the 
thickness  of  a  wide  stroke.  Fig.  43  shows  how  the  letters  fit 
the  squares,  although  the  squares  are  not  shown  divided  into 
the  smaller  spaces.  Center  lines  are  shown  in  some  of  them. 
If  they  had  been  divided  each  way  into  nine  smaller  spaces,  the 
center  lines  would  have  cut  through  the  middle  of  the  fifth 
space. 

A,  V,  and  W.—A  is  made  the  full  nine  spaces  wide  at  its  base. 
The  point  or  apex  is  at  the  center.  This  should  be  kept  in  mind 
as  the  beginner  usually  slants  the  letter,  causing  the  apex  to 
come  too  far  to  the  right,  cramping  the  right  half  of  the  letter. 
The  point  of  the  letter  may  extend  half  a  space  above  the  ''cap 
line"  as  shown.  If  this  is  not  done,  the  letter  appears  shorter 
than  it  really  is.  On  the  other  hand,  this  projection  is  so  slight 
as  to  be  unnoticeable  in  most  show-card  lettering,  and  may  be 
ignored.  In  window  and  outdoor  signs,  however,  this  projec- 
tion is  seldom  neglected.  Sometimes  the  top  is  cut  off  by  a 
curve  instead  of  tapering  to  a  straight  point.  The  radius  of 
the  curve  is  equal  to  the  width  of  one  space  or  one-ninth  of 
one  of  the  sides  of  the  square  enclosing  the  letter.  The  center 
of  the  curve  is  set  to  the  left  of  the  apex  of  the  letter  and  not 
to  the  right.  The  right  edge  of  the  broad  stroke  continues  un- 
broken to  its  full  height. 

The  thin  strokes  in  such  letters  as  A,  V,  and  W  are  shown 
here  about  half  as  thick  as  the  thick  strokes.  Sometimes  they 
are  made  much  thinner,  but  for  show-card  purposes  one-half  to 
one-third  the  thickness  of  the  broad  stroke  is  about  the  right 
thickness  for  thin  strokes  and  crossbars.  The  crossbar  is  made 
four  spaces  above  the  base  line  or  a  little  less  than  half  the 
height  of  the  letter. 

The  letters  V  and  W  are  somewhat  like  A  in  shape,  and  as  in 
A  the  points  may  project  over  the  guide  line.  The  projection 
is,  however,  at  the  base  line  instead  of  at  the  cap  line. 

B. — The  letter  B  is  narrower  than  the  square,  being  about 


HISTORY  OF  LETTERING 


47 


seven  spaces  instead  of  nine  spaces  wide.  The  crossbar  comes 
just  below  the  fourth  space,  or  just  above  the  middle  of  the 
height  of  tlie  letter.  The  center  of  the  larger  outside  curve  of 
the  upper  lobe  is  located  halfway  between  the  crossbar  and  the 
cap  line,  while  the  inside  curve  has  a  diameter  the  thickness 
of  a  stroke  less  than  the  outside  diameter.  The  center 
of  the  inside  curve  is  shifted  to  the  left  a  trifle  so  that  if  the 
inside  curve  were  drawn  as  a  full  circle  its  left  rim  would 
coincide  with  the  left  rim  of  the  outside  circle  on  the  outside 
of  the  stem  of  the  letter.  This  is  clearly  shown  in  Fig.  43. 
The  lower  lobe  is  quite  similar  to  the  upper  lobe  except  that 
the  centers  of  the  curves  are  both  half  a  space  further  to  the 
right,  which  makes  the  lower  lobe  somewhat  larger. 

C,G,  and  D. — The  curves  for  these  letters  are  based  on  circles 
whose  centers  are  half  a  space  apart,  the  circles  in  D  being  the 
reverse  of  those  in  C.  These  letters  are  thinnest  at  the  top  and 
bottom.  The  open  ends  of  C  are  exactly  in  line  with  each  other, 
making  C  like  a  circle  with  part  cut  away  by  a  vertical  line 
one  space  to  the  left  from  the  extreme  edge  of  the  circle.  These 
open  ends  in  both  C  and  G  are  thickened  at  the  tips.  The  verti- 
cal stroke  of  G  is  made  in  the  second  space  from  the  right. 
It  is  one  space  thick,  and  its  top  level  is  one  and  a  half  spaces 
below  the  middle  of  the  letter. 

E  and  F. — E  and  P  are  narrow  letters,  being  only  four  and  a 
half  spaces  wide.  The  crossbar  in  each  is  a  space  shorter  than 
the  top  horizontal  stroke  but  is  at  the  same  height  as  in  B. 
The  space  on  the  bottom  horizontal  stroke  in  E  projects  a  space 
further  than  the  end  of  the  top  stroke,  making  each  horizontal 
stroke  different  in  length  from  the  others.  The  curves  used 
in  forming  the  spurs  or  serifs  are  shown  in  Fig.  43.  A  radius 
equal  to  one  space  or  the  thickness  of  a  broad  stroke  is  used. 

H. — The  letter  H  is  known  as  a  base  letter,  being  the  nearest 
to  a  square  of  any  of  the  Roman  letters.  The  letters  B,  E,  P, 
I,  J,  L,  P,  and  S  are  less  than  a  square  wide,  M  and  W  usually 
exceed  squares,  while  C,  D,  G,  0,  and  Q  are  based  on  full  circles. 

J, — The  curve  in  J  is  made  with  a  diameter  of  four  spaces 
wide  on  the  inside. 

K. — In  the  more  modern  forms  of  this  letter  the  swash  is 
joined  to  the  letter  a  little  higher  up,  so  that  the  broad  stroke  of 
the  swash  meets  the  thin  slanted  stroke  rather  than  the  vertical 


M 


|i, 


ill 


'I 


II 


i 

III 


I 


48 


SHOWCAHn  WRITING 


stem  of  the  letter.  The  meeting  point  is  just  above  the  center 
of  the  letter. 

L. — This  letter  is  but  six  and  a  half  spaces  wide.  The  hori- 
zontal stroke  is  made  similar  to  the  base  of  the  letter  E.  The 
curved  part  is  drawn  with  a  radius  equal  to  two  spaces. 

M  and  N. — The  stem  strokes  of  M  slant  outward  half  a  stroke 
at  the  bottom.  In  N  the  stems  set  in  one  space  from  the  sides 
of  the  square  enclosing  the  letter.  The  spur  at  the  top  of  the 
slanted  stroke  projects  half  a  stroke  beyond  the  square  at  the 
left.  In  some  forms,  the  point  at  the  bottom  of  the  slanted 
stroke  projects  a  trifle  beyond  the  base  line. 

/'  a7ul  E. — P  is  but  five  spaces  wide  across  the  lobe,  which 
is  formed  in  much  the  same  manner  as  in  the  letter  B.  R  is  P 
with  a  swash  stroke  added. 

0  and  Q. — The  widest  part  of  the  stroke  in  0  is  not  at  the 
middle  of  the  sides  of  the  square  but  at  the  upper  and  lower 
left  corners.  The  slant  of  the  axis  of  the  oval  is  shown  by  the 
dotted  line.  In  more  modern  types  the  axis  is  often  vertical. 
The  swash  in  Q  begins  one  space  to  the  right  of  the  center  and 
is  nine  spaces  long.  The  upper  edge  of  the  swash  is  half  a 
space  above  the  base  line,  and  the  lower  edge  is  a  full  space  and 
a  half  below. 

8  and  Z. — The  letter  S  is  formed  by  two  circles  one  on  top 
of  the  other.  In  the  wider  and  more  modern  forms  the  upper 
lobe  is  made  smaller,  owing  to  an  optical  illusion  which  makes 
the  upper  lobe  appear  top-heav>^  if  drawn  the  same  size  as  the 
lower  lobe.  This  difference  in  the  size  of  the  lobes  becomes 
much  more  noticeable  if  a  newspaper  is  turned  upside  down 
and  the  letter  studied  in  an  inverted  position.  The  end  of  the 
top  stroke  stops  short  of  the  extreme  limits  of  the  circle  by 
half  a  space,  while  the  bottom  stroke  of  the  letter  extends  that 
much  beyond  the  circle.  This  makes  the  lower  part  of  the 
letter  a  full  space  wider  and  gives  the  appearance  of  strength 
to  the  lower  lobe  which  has  to  support  the  upper  part  of  the 
letter.  For  the  same  reason  the  letter  Z  is  seven  spaces  wide 
at  the  bottom  and  only  six  and  a  half  spaces  wide  at  the  top. 

T. — T  is  a  narrow  letter  being  only  seven  spaces  wide.  The 
crossbar  is  half  a  space  thick.  The  curves  of  the  spurs  are 
made  with  a  radius  equal  in  length  to  one  space. 

V. — The  curve  at  the  bottom  of  the  letter  U  is  formed  by  a 


HISTORY  OF  LETTERING 


49 


circle  with  a  diameter  seven  spaces  wide,  thus  making  the  letter 
the  same  width  as  T,  not  including  the  spurs, 

X  and  Y. — The  strokes  which  cross  each  otlier  in  the  letters 

bijttlm 


♦.        -^3  4  s         ^  «         a     _4  4       _s 


i  >l 


Fig.  44. — Lower  case  Roman  letters. 

X  and  Y  cross  at  the  middle  of  the  letter  height,  as  measured 
at  the  left  of  the  letters.  The  intersection  is  higher  on  the 
right  side  because  of  the  difference  in  the  thickness  of  the 
strokes.  The  vertical  stroke  in  Y  is  drawn  in  the  middle  space 
of  the  square. 


II 


II 


no 


BEOW-CARD  WRITING 


14.  Lower  Case  Roman. — Charlemagne  in  the  eighth  cen- 
tury ordered  all  church  books,  which  were  practically  the  only 
books  in  common  use  at  the  time,  to  be  rewritten  in  small  round- 
ing letters,  a  form  of  lettering  which  had  been  gradually  develop- 
ing for  some  time.  Lettering  with  small  letters,  however,  did  not 
become  universal  until  later.  With  the  invention  of  printing 
came  the  general  use  of  the  lower  case  Roman,  Fig.  44.  The 
Italian  craftsmen  were  not  satisfied  with  the  black  and  heavy 
lower  case  Gothic  so  they  made  smaller  letters  to  go  with  the 
Roman.  These  letters  became  popular  and  still  remain  practi- 
cally unchanged  from  their  original  form,  after  several  centuries 
of  use. 

The  first  noticeable  difference  between  the  characters  of  capi- 
tals and  small  or  lower  case  letters  is  the  increase  in  the  number 
of  curved  elements.  A  comparison  of  lower  case  a,  b,  e,  f,  m, 
n,  and  t  with  their  respective  capitals  will  make  this  quite 
apparent.  The  rule  regarding  the  thickness  of  the  downstrokes 
and  the  thinness  of  the  upstrokes  and  crossbars  applies  to  lower 
case  letters  as  it  does  to  capitals. 

The  serifs  are  smaller  in  the  lower  case  letters.  The  under- 
side of  the  bottom  serif  is  straight  and  horizontal,  but  on  the 
tips  of  the  ascenders  the  serifs  are  sometimes  made  slanted  or 
curved,  as  well  as  horizontal.  The  various  styles  of  serifs  should 
not  be  mixed  in  the  same  alphabet.  Regardless  of  what  style  is 
used,  it  should  always  be  uniform  throughout  the  same  alphabet. 
A  curved  or  slanted  serif  should  not  be  placed  on  the  ascender 
of  one  letter  when  horizontal  serifs  are  being  used  on  all  the 
other  ascenders  in  that  particular  alphabet.  To  do  so  would 
make  the  alphabet  very  confusing  in  its  appearance.  Beginners 
should  note  this  point  carefully. 

A  detailed  analysis  of  the  lower  case  letters  is  not  necessary 
here,  as  a  close  study  will  reveal  the  most  important  points.  The 
curve ,  ;  e  too  small  to  be  drawn  easily  with  a  compass.  The 
waist  line  is  about  three-fifths  as  high  as  the  full  height  of  the 
letter.  The  rounded  lobes  in  the  lower  part  of  the  body  of  the 
letter  are  based  on  circles  in  most  cases,  the  thickness  of  the  side 
strokes  making  the  inside  portions  oval  in  shape.  Sometimes 
these  lobes  are  drawn  as  ovals,  thus  condensing  the  shape  some- 
what. When  the  capitals  are  drawn  so  as  to  be  seven  spaces 
high  instead  of  nine,  the  waist  line  should  be  about  five  spaces 


HISTORY  OF  LETTERING 


51 


HBOD 


I  ! 


'   i\ 


^  ■ 

t  M 


>»! 


Qtay 


Fig.  45. — Uncial,  a  style  used  for  memorials,  greetings,  uad 
lettering  of  a  dignified  nature. 


!| 


II 

'I 

li 


52 


SHOW-CARD  WRITIXQ 


high.  In  show-card  writing  the  lower  case  letters  are  more 
often  drawn  with  the  waist  line  two-thirds  the  full  height  of  the 
letter.  It  is  less  trouble  to  use  this  proportion  than  any  other. 
15.  Uncial. — Another  alphabet  called  the  Uncial,  Fig.  45, 
developed  north  of  Rome,  coming  between  the  Roman  and  the 
Gothic  forms  both  in  date  and  birthplace.  This  alphabet  does 
not  have  a  lower  case,  but  some  of  the  letters  resemble  large  lower 

3Mg  (S:  i  (5  JF  ag 

abcbefg^ijklmn 

0|)qrstutjt0jcy2 

Fig.  46.— Gothic  or  "Old  English"  alphabet. 

case  letters.  It  is  sometimes  called  the  Lombardic,  from  Lom- 
bardy,  a  province  of  northern  Italy  where  many  examples  of  this 
style  are  found.  When  the  form  was  originated,  it  varied  in  dif- 
ferent localities  and  never  became  standardized. 

The  Uncial  letters  are  descendants  of  the  Classic  Roman 
letters  but  are  made  with  free  and  rounded  strokes,  a  reed  pen 
having  been  used  when  they  first  originated.  The  first  steps 
taken  toward  the  formation  of  the  lower  case  letters  may  be 
noted  in   E,  H,  K,  M,  N,  U,  and  Y. 

The  alphabet  as  a  whole  has  certain  marked  characteristics 
which  make  it  easily  distinguishable  from  the  Roman.  The  let- 
ters are  made  with  a  loose,  free,  flowing  movement  and  contain 
a  large  number  of  curved  strokes  which  end  with  flourishes  and 
elongated  serifs  with  knobbed  tips.     The  open  sides  of  the  letters 


HISTORY  OF  LETTERING 


53 


are  closed  by  narrow  vertical  strokes.  The  letters  are  dignified 
in  appearance  but  are  limited  to  the  lettering  found  in  churches 
and  memorials,  and  on  Christmas  cards  and  lettering  of  a  digni- 
fied nature. 

16.  Oothic. — A  blacker  and  more  spiky  form  of  the  Uncial 
developed  farther  north  in  what  is  now  Germany  and  neighbor- 
ing countries,  and  is  known  as  Gothic.  When  the  blackness 
predominates  over  the  open  space,  that  is,  when  the  strokes  are 
broad  and  heavy  and  the  letters  condensed  in  width,  the  Gothic 
is  known  as  Blackletter.  Gothic  is  usually  called  ' '  Old  English, ' ' 
Fig.  46,  but  strictly  speaking  this  Is  not  historically  correct. 


(o) 


Fig.  47. — A  comparison 
of  the  modern  with 
the  original  forms  of 
"Old  English,"  S. 

Before  printing  from  type  became  common,  penmen,  largely 
monks,  spent  their  time  copying  manuscripts.  The  more  skilled 
they  became  at  this  work,  the  more  highly  they  ornamented  their 
lettering,  Fig.  47.  This,  of  course,  took  considerable  time  and 
space,  so  that  eventually  the  need  for  economy  in  time  and  mate- 
rials demanded  lower  case  forms. 

Gothic  style  has  always  contained  lower  case  letters.  It  was 
never  the  intention  to  use  Gothic  capitals  throughout  an  entire 
word,  nor  should  they  ever  be  used  except  for  the  initial  letter. 
This  is  one  of  the  differences  between  Gothic  and  Classic  Roman 
and  should  always  be  kept  in  mind  since  it  is  a  very  common  mis- 
take among  beginners  to  letter  a  whole  word  in  Gothic  capitals. 
When  the  Roman  style  is  used,  however,  all  the  letters  may  be 
capitals. 


I 


n 


III 


^11 


I 


% 


jf  - 


M 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


In  Fig.  48  three  examples  are  shown  of  lower  case  letters. 
Fig.  48a  represents  an  early  and  rounded  form;  Fig.  48b  a 
Gothic  lower  case;  and  Fig.  48c  a  modern  variation  of  Gothic 
Blackletter. 

Gothic  letters  have  the  same  spirit  as  Gothic  architecture,  a 
style  of  architecture  running  to  vertical  lines,  tall  spires,  and 
pointed  arches.  They  both  originated  at  the  same  period  in 
historj^  and  differ  greatly  from  the  Roman  and  the  Greek  forms. 
The  Gothic  style  was  an  attempt  to  break  away  from  the  Roman 


(c) 


mp 


Fig.  48. — r>ovelopment  of 
lower  case  forms  of  let- 
tering. 


Style,  which  was  as  true  of  lettering  as  it  was  of  architecture. 
Gothic  lettering  is  still  used  in  the  localities  where  it  originated ; 
for  example,  Germany.  Elsewhere  its  use  lias  become  limited, 
being  confined  mostly  to  lettering  of  a  formal  and  dignified 
nature. 

The  Gothic  style  of  lettering  substituted  curved,  shaded 
strokes  for  heavy  straight  strokes  wherever  it  was  possible  to 
do  so.  It  should  be  noted  also  that  certain  letters,  such  as  H, 
M,  N,  W,  and  Y,  are  patterned  to  a  marked  degree  after  the 
Roman  low^er  case  forms  for  these  letters. 

The  Gothic  capitals.  Fig.  46,  like  the  Roman,  approach  a 
square  in  their  proportions.  Some  early  styles  are  quite  angu- 
lar in  the  character  of  the  strokes,  while  later  styles  are  more 


r 


HISTORY  OF  LETTERING 


55 


open  and  rounded.  Cymas,  half  cymas,  and  crescents  are  used 
in  nearly  every  letter.  A  is  sometimes  made  with  the  thick 
stem  vertical.  H  and  Y  sometimes  resemble  the  Roman  capitals 
instead  of  lower  case,  as  in  this  figure.  Diamond  shaped  tips, 
like  those  on  the  lower  ends  of  the  stems,  are  often  used  on  the 
top  ends  in  place  of  the  points  which  are  shown  in  the  letters 
h  and  1.  Lower  case  g  and  y  are  often  made  with  wavy 
descenders.  Lower  case  d  should  never  be  drawn  with  a  verti- 
cal ascender.  The  descenders  in  lower  case  h  may  be  short- 
ened to  the  base  line  and  made  similar  to  n.  In  both  capital 
and  lower  case  the  pen  is  held  at  an  angle  so  that  the  down- 
strokes  are  wide. 

17.  **01d  English.*' — During  the  seventeenth  century  the 
Gothic  style  became  popular  with  English  printers,  which  ac- 
counts for  the  term  **01d  English"  being  applied  to  this  style 
of  lettering.  The  modern  *  *  Old  English ' '  has  a  variety  of  forms, 
but  they  are  all  based  on  the  original  Gothic  form.  In  some 
variations  of  this  style  the  letters  are  made  long,  slender,  and 
graceful,  while  in  other  forms  the  letters  are  made  wide  and  full 
with  heavy  strokes.  The  original  ''Old  English''  wa^  highly  or- 
namented and  difficult  to  read.  In  Fig.  47  a  comparison  is  made 
between  an  elaborate  "Old  English''  S  and  its  modern  successor. 
The  S  in  Fig.  46  differs  still  more  in  the  number  and  character 
of  the  hairline  strokes.  The  modern  forms  of  "Old  English"  are 
quite  simplified,  and  this  is  particularly  true  of  the  forms  used 
in  show-card  writing  which  must  be  adapted  to  round  writing 
pens,  marking  pens,  and  brushes. 

Gothic  or  "Old  English"  is  quite  suited  to  cards  where  dig- 
nity and  refinement  are  desired,  but  the  style  is  not  appropriate 
for  extremely  wide  use  and  becomes  tiresome  when  overdone. 
These  and  similar  styles  have  been  misused  by  card  writers  until 
quite  recently.  Formerly,  whenever  a  particularly  attractive 
card  was  ordered,  the  card  writer  lettered  it  in  "Old  English." 
Present  day  card  writers  are  more  versatile  and  are  familiar 
enough  with  the  general  principles  of  art  and  design  to  be  able 
to  make  attractive  cards  in  any  of  the  popular  styles  of  lettering. 

18.  Gothic  (so-called). — When  single  stroke  letters  are 
used  and  the  serifs  omitted,  giving  the  letter  a  simple  and  plain 
outline,  the  style  is  known  by  printers  and  draftsmen  as 
* '  Gothic. ' '    The  lettering  in  Figs.  49  and  50  is  done  in  ' '  Gothic. ' ' 


II 


&6 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


OX 


€> 


iiY?  1< 


11^ 


a 
o 


n 

a 
o 


xi 


•d 

a 

OS 

u 

o 

4-1 

0) 


es 


CI 

o 

O 


6 


I 

! 
I 

! 

! 
I 


HISTORY  OF  LETTERING 


^ 


>S_^ 


67 


N 


^ 


CO 


O 


a 
o 

9 


00 

a 
o 


Xi 

•o 

a 

08 

so 
hi 
« 

oi 

00 

08 

o 

u 

o 


o 
C5 


o 

lO 

6 


58 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


This  name  is  not  strictly  correct  as  the  historical  Gothic  is 
quite  different.  The  term  ''Egyptian"  is  also  applied  to  single 
stroke  Roman  letters  although  this  name  is  of  no  particular  his- 


slant  of  about  20* 


::sLfL 


mfeiTiitroJm 


Fio.  51. — Practice  strokes  for  "Gothic"  letters. 

torical   significance.    A   set   of   practice  strokes   for  so-called 
Gothic  letters  is  given  in  Fig.  51. 

19.    Early   English   Roman.— Early   English   forms   of  the 
Roman  were  somewhat  clumsy  at  first.     England  was  too  far 


AB 
CO 


Fig.  52.— Early  Eng- 
lish forms  of  Ro- 
man letters. 


from  Rome  to  feel  the  full  strength  of  Roman  influence,  so  the 
letters  were  partly  imitations  of  Classic  Roman  and  partly  in- 
ventions of  English  craftsmen  who  were  uncultured  and  un- 
accustomed to  such  tasks.  Selected  letters  from  an  early  and 
quaint  though  somewhat  clumsy  form  of  the  Roman  style  are 
shown  in  Fig.  52.     The  number  and  character  of  serifs  should 


HISTORY  OF  LETTERING 


59 


ABEFKMRS 


GERMAN 


ABEFKMRS 

ITALIAN 

Fig.  53. — A  comparison  of  two  Renaissance  stylos  of  lettering. 


••'•<  im.^mam'' ^m^tmmk  im.'taaa  w 

«r-  sSSmiislis""" '"  '"  " 

ff "-'  ■■5/  '■»  /••  '■•»»•«  imi 


r«*   I 


f»  '■•  •«"  I'SSS!  !S"'  "-^""i  SSmSam  i  h 

/    ■■■'  I'aaai  immmi  a.  ^aaami  »«•••#'   '•    SSSi  Sk  '«■ 

'aaa.  ■'  jaam'  «»>   ->»-   —  ■  ma^  •■  /r    w»r  wi 


iSZ   flSSSi  ?V  '''••■*»  ^aaaaak  'sammm'  ^•■»^jJ*«-t««i  ••«, 

SS.  JSSSSS    'i  jE99§F^k  ^mmmaa  maamf  janaa  waa  immami  *  ik 


•'—'••••   ^  •  Y  '  f   '  I 


'1 1 1  rmjfj 


Waaaaam  SSSSSSSSSS'SSSSSSS.'J"""'  '•«•«  ■*«  lar  saa 

Kr''aa    "mm'  SSr'  SSS'^S'  'iSS'9',SI  ""mamaaaaa  #«» 

a  "  'S  S'jml  'Sli  '■  PS.  i^SnSSr^ZjSS!  '''"'"''"  'H 

m    .    ja.  "jam   "sa.       jak  -^ma  laar  •«•»!  ri  -.a a  jai  laa  fa  -J 


mj  1  i  I  !  I  !  f  I  I  I  9  I  I  I  i  I  f  J 


lllf'T'llJlllllf 


'mtumumiiiuimum 


.  t.  II  ta.  1  .sa. 
'  'jS!  "  "  *"'  aaaa.  m  ammrmmaaaaa 


maaaaar-tmaaa aaa .^ 


ri  I  I  mi  I 


ITTlHIiifiL 


f r,  f 55^  "'55 T 'f ••■'"■■''""'■•^^^■■■"■■»^- «r»^r'«*«r'»» 


Fig.  54. — Italic  alphabet. 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 

be  noticed,  also  the  similarity  of  the  letters  to  the  lower  case 
forms  in  D,  E,  and  H. 

20.  Renaissance. — ^Following  the  invention  of  printing  from 
type,  there  was  a  return  from  the  ornamented  Gothic  to  the 
simpler  forms  of  the  Roman.  These  forms  are  known  as  Ren- 
aissance styles,  having  been  developed  during  that  period  in 
history.  Several  letters  from  two  Renaissance  styles  are  shown 
in  Fig.  53.  The  German  Renaissance  is  the  more  delicate  and 
uses  longer  serifs.  The  Italian  style  is  the  more  sturdy.  Com- 
parison should  be  made  in  both  styles  of  the  width  of  A,  the 


Fig.  55. — Script  alphabet. 

lobes  in  B,  the  crossbars  and  widths  of  £  and  F,  the  slanted 
strokes  in  K,  the  serifs,  noting  M  in  particular,  the  swash  in 
B,  and  the  general  character  of  S. 

21.  Italic  and  Script.— The  Italic,  Fig.  54,  is  simply  the 
Roman  somewhat  slanted.  The  Italian  workmen  found  this 
style  easier  and  speedier  than  the  upright  form.  It  gradually 
took  on  certain  graceful  touches,  characteristic  of  the  Italian 
spirit,  until  it  differed  enough  from  the  slanted  Roman  alphabet 
to  become  a  style  of  its  own.  Later,  this  form  still  further  ap- 
proached the  nature  of  handwriting  and  became  known  as  Script. 
Italic  has  grace,  dignity,  and  beauty  characteristic  of  Italian 
workmanship,  while  Script  is  often  little  more  than  an  imitation 
of  handwriting. 


HISTORY  OF  LETTERING 


61 


There  is  little  difference  between  the  Italic  shown.  Fig. 
54,  and  a  slanted  Roman.  In  the  lower  case  a  takes  a  new 
form,  resembling  the  hand  written  a.  The  five  descenders 
found  in  this  alphabet  all  differ  from  the  lower  case  Roman 
form  shown  in  Fig.  44,  page  49.  The  lower  case  ovals  in  the 
letters  b,  d,  g,  p,  and  q  may  be  drawn  egg-shaped,  making  the 
top  rather  pointed  but  leaving  the  lower  curve  well  rounded. 

Script,  Fig.  55,  resembles  handwriting  and  encourages  the 
use  of  flourishes  and  graceful  curves.  These  two  slanted  styles, 
Italic  and  Script,  are  usually  made  at  an  angle  of  50  to  88  de- 
grees and  take  on  a  certain  dignity  as  they  approach  the  vertical. 
The  flourishes  and  the  tendency  to  resemble  Italics  should  be 
noted.  The  use  of  Script  in  the  lettering  of  a  trade-mark  for  a 
brand  of  toilet  articles  is  shown  in  the  figure. 


f 


CHAPTER  HI 
MODERN  SHOW-CARD  ALPHABETS 

"From  a  common  basic  principle  liave 
been  evolved  four  different  styles  .  .  . 
upon  which  are  variously  constructed  all 
the  letter  styles  ...  in  common  use." 

Wm.  Hush  (Jordon. 

22.  Show-card  Styles  of  Lettering.— The  styles  of  lettering 
used  in  writing  show  cards  must  meet  certain  requirements. 
They  must  be  simple  so  that  they  may  be  easily  read  and  quickly 
made.  It  is  a  common  mistake  with  most  bej^inners  to  make 
letters  and  cards  too  fancy.  If  less  attention  is  given  to  fanci- 
ness  and  more  to  the  layout  of  the  lettering,  the  card  will  be 
easier  to  read  and  far  more  effective  in  its  results.  The  letters 
must  also  be  of  such  a  character  as  to  fit  the  requirements  of  the 
tools  used.  The  fact  should  not  be  lost  sight  of  that  certain 
styles  of  lettering  are  fitted  best  for  certain  styles  of  pens  and 
brushes. 

If  the  beginner  desires  to  learn  to  make  simple  cards  in  the 
least  possible  time,  he  should  confine  his  efforts  to  some  certain 
popular  style  and  to  one  type  of  tools.  This  will  limit  the  range 
of  his  skill  but  will  concentrate  his  efforts  so  that  he  will  be  al)le 
to  get  an  early  start  in  selling  his  work.  It  is  much  better,  how- 
ever, to  learn  several  good  styles  of  lettering  and  to  become  well 
acquainted  with  the  various  types  of  brushes  and  pens.  When 
this  is  done,  any  kind  of  work  may  be  undertaken  and  success- 
fully handled. 

23.  Single-stroke  and  Accented  Stroke  Styles.— The  letters 
used  in  show-card  writing  may  be  divided  into  two  styles,  basing 
the  classification  upon  the  construction  of  the  strokes.  One  style 
is  known  as  the  single-stroke  style,  Fig.  56,  since  each  stroke  is 
made  with  one  sweep  of  the  brush  or  pen.  This  does  not  mean 
that  the  entire  letter  is  made  in  a  single  movement  of  the  hand 
but  that  the  width  of  the  stroke  equals  the  width  of  the  brush. 
The  other  style  of  lettering,  the  accented  style,  requires  two  or 
more  sweeps  of  the  brush  or  pen,  Fig.  61,  page  69 ;  one  sweep 

63 


i 


I! 


u 


^HOW-CAliD  WRITIXQ 


^S^ 


TOvw: 


tVLV 


if 


FiQ.  50. — Single-stroke  brush  alphabet  with  serifs. 


SHOW-CARD  ALPHABETS 


65 


forms  the  outer  edge  of  the  stroke,  and  the  other  forms  the 
inner  edge.  If  any  area  still  remains  uncolored  on  the  face  of 
the  stroke,  another  stroke  is  necessary.  The  capital  B,  Fig.  56, 
should  be  compared  with  the  capital  B,  Fig.  61.  Capital  B, 
Fig.  56,  is  a  single-stroke  letter,  all  the  strokes  being  of  the  same 
width  as  the  brush  used.  One  downward  sweep  of  the  brush 
forms  the  stem.    A  curved  stroke,  made  from  left  to  right  at  the 


Fig.  57. — Correct  position  of  brush  for  single-stroke  lettering. 

top  of  the  stem,  forms  the  top  of  the  lobe.  Another  curved 
stroke  running  from  left  to  right  forms  the  waist  line  stroke  and 
completes  the  upper  lobe.  The  curves  are  made  to  overlap  at  the 
ends.  This  is  also  true  of  the  straight  lines.  The  lower  lobe 
is  made  in  the  same  way.  Five  strokes  of  the  brush  complete 
the  letter.  The  correct  position  for  the  brush  is  shown  in 
Fig.  57. 

In  capital  B,  Fig.  61,  the  stem  is  made  with  two  strokes,  so 
that  its  width  is  twice  that  of  the  pen  used.  The  upper  serif 
and  the  outer  outline  of  the  upper  lobe  are  formed  with  one  long 
curved  sweep  of  the  pen.  A  short  curved  stroke,  following  the 
dotted  line  in  the  direction  the  arrow  is  pointing,  completes  the 


HI 


66 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


I 


ea 
Xi 

a 


cc 


0) 
M 

O 

b 

■0 

I 

a 


00 

6 


SHOW-CARD  ALPHABETS 


«7 


upper  lobe.  The  lower  lobe  is  made  in  the  same  manner.  This 
letter  requires  six  strokes,  instead  of  five,  as  in  the  case  of  the 
single-stroke  style.  Since  single-stroke  letters  usually  require 
fewer  strokes  they  are  used  a  great  deal.  The  single-stroke  style 
is  difficult  to  learn  as  the  brush  must  be  twirled  slightly  in  the 
fingers  when  making  curved  strokes.  This  style  is  generally 
made  with  a  brush,  and  since  it  is  a  brush  letter  not  so  much 
painstaking  accuracy  is  given  to  the  work.  Its  value  lies  in  the 
speed  with  which  a  large  amount  of  plain  work  can  be  done. 


Fig.  59. — Exercises  for  practice  in  making  various  letter  strokes. 

Single-stroke  letters  may  be  made  with  or  witliout  serifs. 
They  may  be  made  also  with  a  marking  pen  but  not  so  easily 
as  with  a  brush.  Fig.  56  shows  each  short  stroke  outlined  and 
also  how  the  strokes  overlap.  When  the  ends  of  curved  strokes 
overlap,  as  in  G,  the  brush  need  be  twirled  but  slightly,  as  the 
overlapping  of  the  strokes  will  give  the  curve  its  fullness.  The 
brush  alphabet,  Fig.  58,  is  a  one-stroke  alphabet  with  serifs 
omitted. 

24.  Pour  Classes  of  Lettering  Styles. — Letters  may  be  classi- 
fied according  to  their  principal  styles.  This  classification  di- 
vides all  styles  of  lettering  into  four  groups :  single-stroke  letters, 


'III 


iJcl 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


ABCDEF 

GHIJKLM 

NOPQRS 
TU  V  WXY  2 

abcdefg 

hijklmno 
p  qrst  u  V 


SHOW-CARD  ALPHABETS 


iMSU 


lil.lil, ■. 1,1.1.  I.l. 1,1.1. lil.lAI.I.I.I.I.I-l.l.l.l.l.l.l 


Fig.  60. — Tuscan  alphabet. 


ii 


Bsss^s 


au. 


09 


a 

et 
o 

a 

a 

o 


a 

o 

u 
m 

a 
o 
u 


6 


\^t^tjM^9^^9g9^tlJjJ^j^9^M^9^^9jJj9^^^ 


70 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


III 


III 


SHOW-CARD  ALPHABETS 


n 


00 


s 


M 


Fig.  58 ;  Roman  letters,  Figs.  61  and  62 ;  Gothic  or  ' '  Old  Eng- 
lish'' letters,  Fig.  65,  page  74;  and  slanted  letters,  Fig.  54.  In 
the  first  group  the  so-called  ' '  Gothic ' '  letters  are  placed.  These 
are  plain,  simple,  single-stroke  letters  with  or  without  serifs.  The 
Roman  letters  come  in  the  second  group  and  differ  from  the  first 
group  in  that  they  are  composed  of  thick  and  thin  strokes.  In  the 
third  group  the  true  historical  Gothic  letters  and  the  styles  de- 
rived from  them  are  placed.  These  styles  are  known  by  various 
names,  such  as  Gothic,  ''Old  English,''  Church,  Text,  and  other 
names.  They  are  not  extensively  used  in  show-card  writing  as 
they  are  more  difficult  to  read  than  the  other  and  more  popular 
styles.  The  fourth  group  includes  all  slanted  styles  such  as  Italic 
and  Script  letters.    By  keeping  these  four  groups  in  mind  there 


S  T  UDIO 

OPEN 
SUNDATS 


W1| 


Fig.  63. — Announcement  lettered  in 
Roman  pen  letters. 

should  be  no  trouble  in  remembering  all  the  various  styles  in 
which  show-card  letters  are  made.  All  styles  are  simply  modifi- 
cations of  these  four  groups.  Exercises  for  drawing  the  strokes 
used  in  these  four  classes  of  lettering  styles  are  given  in  Fig.  59. 
If  these  exercises  are  practiced  daily,  it  will  be  easier  to  make  the 
various  styles  of  lettering. 

25.  Tuscan  Style.— The  Tuscan,  Fig.  60,  is  a  single-stroke 
style  which  uses  curved  serifs  and  curved  horizontal  lines.  It  is 
used  most  for  display  lines  composed  of  capitals.  It  is  not  so 
popular  now  as  formerly,  but  its  use  is  still  quite  common.  The 
letters  are  in  reality  the  same  as  any  single-stroke  style  with  the 
exception  of  the  serifs  which  are  curved  in  both  directions  from 
the  stems,  giving  the  alphabet  its  individuality.  If  the  serifs 
were  changed  to  some  other  style,  the  whole  nature  of  the  alpha- 
bet would  be  changed.  This  is  true  of  almost  all  styles.  It  fol- 
lows, then,  that  if  one  is  familiar  with  the  form  of  each  letter  in 
the  elementary  style  of  lettering  and  is  also  familiar  with  three 


m 


72 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


or  four  different  kinds  of  serifs,  three  or  four  different  styles  of 
alphabets  may  be  made.  Care  should  be  taken  not  to  mix  two 
styles  of  serifs  in  one  alphabet,  or  a  jumbled  and  confused  ap- 
pearance will  result. 

26.  Eoman  Style. — The  construction  of  Roman  capitals  and 
lower  ease  letters  is  shown  in  Figs.  61  and  62.  The  capitals  when 
finished  are  also  shown  and  a  series  of  numerals  with  the  lower 
ease  letters.  These  letters  are  constructed  with  a  pen,  the  ac- 
coiitod  strokes  requiring  two  movements  or  strokes  to  give  them 
their  full  width.  When  these  letters  are  made  with  a  brush,  the 
vsamo  method  is  used  and  the  strokes  drawn  in  the  same  order  as 
indicated.  Border  lines,  made  with  ruling  pens,  are  drawn 
around  these  figures.  A  dignified  announcement  card  lettered  in 
Roman  with  an  appropriate  border  is  shown  in  Fig.  63. 

The  Roman  style  does  not  differ  greatly  from  the  single-stroke 
style  except  in  one  important  particular, — the  letters  are  com- 
posed of  thick  and  thin  strokes.  The  Roman  style  is  made  usually 
with  serifs.  Fig.  64  shows  a  rapid  form  of  the  Roman  style  in 
which  the  accented  strokes  are  made  with  one  movement  of  the 
brush,  resulting  in  considerable  saving  of  time.  The  serifs  on 
the  lower  case  letters  are  slanted  on  the  upper  side  and  join  the 
side  of  the  stems  on  the  under-side.  They  may  be  drawn  round- 
ing into  the  stem  on  the  under-side  instead  of  being  straight  as 
shown  here.  The  serifs  in  the  capitals  are  drawn  horizontal  with 
the  under-sides  tapering  into  the  stems  from  both  sides.  Cymas 
are  used  for  crossbars  in  the  letters  A,  E,  F,  and  H,  and  curved 
lines  are  often  substituted  for  the  usual  straight  lines,  as  in 
B,  D,  E,  F,  P,  and  T.  The  serifs  are  usually  drawn  last  when 
the  ink  is  low  on  the  pen  or  the  color  low  in  the  brush.  This 
results  in  a  sharper  spur.  Considerable  practice  is  necessary  to 
learn  the  knack  of  drawing  serifs  quickly  and  accurately. 

27.  Gothic  or  Old  English  Style.— The  Gothic  or  **01d  Eng- 
lish" style,  Fig.  65,  has  been  simplified  so  that  it  may  be  made 
rapidly  with  either  a  pen  or  a  brush.  The  pen  is  held  at  the 
same  angle  as  when  making  the  Italic.  Only  one  form  of  Gothic 
lettering  is  given  here  as  the  style  is  not  easily  read.  Single- 
stroke,  Roman,  and  other  styles  are  more  often  used. 

28.  Italic  Style. — The  Italic  shown  in  Fig.  66  is  a  single- 
.stroke  letter  made  with  a  marking  pen  or  a  Soennecken  pen. 
It  may  also  be  drawn  w^ith  a  brush.    A  curve,  as  in  0,  is  not 


SHOW-CARD  ALPHABETS 


73 


fC 


S-0^ 

n^^^^ 


.H»4' 


■-ST  ^■ 


«>i    w\ 


V 


09 


Oi 


v 


n> 


m 


B 


« 


II 


J 


f^HOWrAlW  WRITIXO 


I 


I 


MM 


<5> 


tj 


fi 


•5^ 


SffOWCARD  ALPHABETS 


75 


^ 


K 


a 


vr 


o 


.<**^ 


s 


%I% 


H 


V 


OB 


N 


•^5 


(V 


V 


© 


^ 


! 


^' 


70 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


made  with  one  long  circular  sweep  of  the  pen  as  this  would 
require  pushing  the  pen  over  part  of  the  curve.  The  curve  is 
made  by  making  two  crescent  shaped  strokes  with  their  tips 
touching.  The  pen  should  be  kept  at  the  same  angle,  thereby 
forming  the  thick  and  thin  i)ortions  of  the  stroke  without 
changing  the  position  of  the  hand.  The  angle  at  which  to 
hold  the  per}  is  sliown  in  Fig.  67. 


Fig.  67. — Correct  positiuu  of  round  writing  pen  for  accented  slant 

lettering. 

•  A  single-stroke  brush  stjie  of  the  Italic  is  shown  in  Fig.  68. 
The  strokes  are  not  accented  but  are  of  uniform  weight 
throughout  the  letter.  This  form  is  very  plain  and  simple  and 
is  really  only  a  slanted  form  of  the  elementary  style  of  lettering 
with  a  few  changes  whicli  make  it  more  easily  drawn  with  a 
brush.  The  order  and  direction  of  each  stroke  are  indicated 
and  should  be  carefully  noted. 

29.  Script  Style. — Script,  Fig.  69,.  is  made  in  the  same  man- 
ner as  Italic,  but  it  is  a  freer  and  more  rounded  style.  Both 
of  these  slanted  forms  of  lettering  can  be  made  faster  usually 
than  the  vertical  styles  as  they  more  closely  resemble  hand 


SHOW-CARD  ALPHABETS 


77 


78 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


JiBeVS^ 

snsjxm. 
nopQns 

cdefq 


a 


hijUmno 

pqrs  ium 


X 


s- 


liG.  ti'J. — Single-Stroke  Script  alphabet. 


mOWCARD  ALPHABETS 


79 


writiug.     All  styles  of  show-card  lettering  are  more  or  less 
written  off  instead  of  being  drawn  laboriously  as  in  sign  paint- 


Fig.  70.— a  fancy  form  of  Script  lettering. 

in*?  or  commercial  art.     Slanted  styles  are  often  used  in  the 
body  of  a  card  and  vertical  letters  in  the  headlines.    The  con- 


i^i 


t 


Fig.  71. — Correct  position  of  rigger  brush  for  Script  lettering. 

trast  thus  obtained  sets  the  card  off,  improves  its  appearance, 
and  tends  to  make  the  reading  easier. 
A  more  elaborate  form  of  Script  is  shown  in  Fig.  70.    This 


80 


SnOW'CARD  WRITING 


ii: 


may  be  used  for  headlines,  trademarks,  and  where  plain  Italic 
style  would  be  less  appropriate.  The  position  of  the  brush  in 
drawing  letters  of  this  style  is  shown  in  Fig.  71.  In  this  figure 
a  rigger  brush  is  being  used  to  outline  the  letters  which  are 


5S3S£.M&h@      AjMlM/tu>f)a 


Via.  72. —  Soennecken  or  round  writing  pen  lotters. 

to  be  filled  in  later.    A  wider  brush  may  be  used  for  filling 
in  between  the  outline  strokes. 

The  round  writing  style,  Fig.  72,  has  the  freedom  of  Script, 
can  be  drawn  very  rapidly,  and  is  used  for  lettering  diplomas, 

12345  67890 
12345678  90 

Fig.  73. — Three  popular  styles  of  numerals. 

certificates,  and  official  papers.  Soennecken  or  round  writing 
pens  are  used  when  the  letters  are  to  be  small  and  a  marking 
pen  when  the  letters  are  to  be  large. 

30.   Numerals.— Three   styles   of   numerals  which   may  be 
drawn  with  pens  are  shown  in  Fig.  73.    The  square  serif  single- 


SHOW-CARD  ALPIf ABETS 


81 


stroke  numerals  are  adapted  for  square  pens  of  the  Spoonbill 
or  Speedball  type.  The  accented  and  Script  styles  may  be  made 
with  either  a  round  writing  pen  or  a  Speedball  pen  turned 
upside  down.  Several  other  styles  made  with  a  Spoonbill  pen 
are  shown  in  Fig.  74.  Numerals  may  be  extended  or  condensed 
as  well  as  drawn  in  the  widths  shown  in  these  figures.  Four 
brush  styles  are  shown  in  Figs.  75  and  76.  The  first  two  are 
plain  and  spurred  styles  of  single-stroke  numerals,  indicating 
the  order  and  direction  of  each  brush  stroke.     The  second  pair 

1234567890 

1125456769 

12343678901 


Fig.  74. — Pen  numerals. 

of  numerals  is  drawn  with  accented  strokes  in  both  vertical 
and  slanted  forms.  The  strokes  for  these  numerals  are  num- 
bered and  their  direction  indicated  by  arrows.  Price  tickets 
containing  both  numerals  and  letters  are  shown  in  Fig.  77. 

31.  Direction  and  Order  of  Strokes. — In  making  any  letter 
all  vertical  lines  are  drawn  from  the  top  downward,  and  hori- 
zontal lines  from  left  to  right.  This  applies  to  curved  lines 
as  well  as  to  straight  lines.  The  strokes  should  be  made  in 
a  regular  order.  The  stem  should  be  made  first,  then  the  main 
strokes  of  the  remainder  of  the  letter,  then  the  crossbars.  The 
serifs  are  drawn  last  usually,  unless  they  are  made  a  part  of 
the  stroke  instead  of  being  drawn  separately, 

32.  Modifications. — There  are  two  ways  in  which  letters  may 
be  modified.    One  way  is  to  alter  the  shape  of  the  letter  as  a 


82 


iilWW'VARD  WRITING 


I 


I 

I 


I 


¥ 


whole  or  the  shape  of  any  of  its  elements.  The  other  way  is 
to  alter  the  finish  of  the  letter.  The  first  modification,  that 
of  alterations  in  the  letter  form,  is  accomplished  in  different 


Fig.  75. — Construction  of  single-stroke  numerals,  with  and  without  spurs. 

ways,  such  as,  extending  or  condensing  the  width  of  the  letter, 
lengthening  the  descenders,  raising  the  ascenders,  or  by  chang- 
ing the  form  or  shape  of  the  letter  so  as  to  change  its  appear- 


J* 


SHOW-CARD  ALPHABETS 


83 


ance  completely.  The  second  modification,  that  of  alterations 
in  the  letter  finish,  is  made  by  means  of  changes  in  the  serifs 
or  in  the  decorating  and  embellishing  of  the  letters  themselves. 


7^30 


Fio.  70. — Construction  of  accented  stroke  numerals,  both  slanted  and  vertical. 

Modifying  Letter  Forms. — The  elementary  alphabet  is  the 
basis  for  practically  all  other  alphabets.  Any  other  alphabet 
is  the  result  of  modifying  this  original  alphabet  in  some  way 
or  other.  One  of  the  most  common  modified  forms  of  the  ele- 
mentary alphabet  and  one  often  learned  by  beginners  is  that 


84 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


I  '. 
%'|i 


in  which  the  rounded  shapes  of  the  letters  are  changed  into 
square  shapes.  This  form  is  called  block  lettering,  Fig.  78. 
It  gets  its  name  from  the  fact  that  the  letters  are  blocked  off 
so  as  to  fill  a  set  of  small  squares.  For  instance,  if  blocked 
letters  one  and  a  quarter  inches  in  height  are  to  be  made, 
six  guide  lines,  each  a  quarter  of  an  inch  apart,  should  be 
ruled.  This  makes  five  spaces,  each  a  quarter  of  an  inch  high. 
Vertical  lines  should  next  be  ruled  in  a  quarter  of  an  inch 
apart.  The  space  in  which  the  letters  are  to  be  drawn  will 
then  be  made  up  of  small  squares.    Each  stroke  should  be  as 


TLoti3oii's 

latest    ^ 


oe 


Fig.  77. — Prioo  tickots. 

wide  as  one  of  these  spaces.  The  letters  will  all  be  five  spaces 
high  and  in  most  cases  four  spaces  wide.  Those  which  origi- 
nally were  curved  in  shape  should  be  drawn  with  the  corners 
beveled.  This  style  of  letter  is  probably  the  simplest  form 
known.  The  entire  process  is  quite  mechanical  as  no  particular 
skill  is  necessary.  A  spurred  form  of  block  lettering  is  shown 
in  Fig.  79.  This  is  often  used  by  painters  in  making  outdoor 
signs. 

Another  variation  is  that  of  changing  the  width  of  the 
letters.  This  is  quite  common  in  show-card  styles  of  lettering. 
The  letters  may  be  condensed  or  extended,  Fig.  80,  an  advan- 
tage of  hand  lettering  over  printers'  type.  This  variation 
improves  the  spacing  of  the  letters  in  the  word  and  also  fits  the 
words  to  the  length  of  the  line  they  are  to  occupy.  Plain  one- 
stroke  letters  are  often  drawn  rather  condensed  on  show  cards, 
the  width  of  the  entire  letter  sometimes  being  less  than  three 
strokes.  In  this  condensed  style  the  curved  strokes  are  more  diffi- 
cult to  make  than  when  they  are  full  and  extended  in  shape. 


SHOW-CARD  ALPHABETS 


86 


2 

iA 
CI 

o 
a 

fA 

f— • 

I 

00 

d 


86 


8flOM(\iRD  WRITING 


\'Zj 


I 


■r  AM 

r  AWT 


■■-■- 

k    ^  ^ 

r 

A 

r  !■! 

■^.1   ■ 

k.  '^ 

1 

"^ 

kJ 

r 

-B 
B» 

r 

_ 

B 

r 

^B 

^Bk    1 

n 

■ 

u 

^ 

1! 

A\   A 


u 
9i 


o 


3 


o 
I- 

d 


k  1    B. 


mOW'-CARD  ALPHABETS 


m 


There  are  other  modifications  in  the  forms  of  letters  which 
may  be  used  if  harmonious.     The  ascenders  and  descenders 


Elongated 


Condensed 


Fig.  80.  —  Condensed 
and  extended  forms 
of  letters. 


may  be  lengthened,  Fig.  81.    This  is  usually  done  by  drawing 
an  extra  guide  line  above  the  "cap'*  line  and  another  beneath 


Ascender    lengthened. 


,  J  /      Descender    lengthened 


Fig.  81. — Stem  variations. 

the  drop  line.     For  instance,  if  the  waist  line  is  two-thirds  of 
the    letter   height,   the   line   may  be   added  an  extra   space 

additional  inslrucloiT 


Fig.  82. — Lobe  variations. 


above  the  cap  line  so  as  to  make  the  ascenders  twice  as  high 
as  the  body  part  of  the  lower  case  letters.  A  similar  extension 
may  be  made   to  the   descenders.     For   variety,   an   alphabet 


.f 


» 


88 


SHOW  CARD  WRITING 


might  be  made  with  the  descenders  lengthened  and  the  as- 
cenders left  their  usual  height,  or  vice  versa. 

The  lobes  of  the  letters  may  also  be  modified  in  many  ways. 
The  two-line  announcement  in  Fig.  82  is  made  up   of  con- 


CHICAGO  ACADEMY 
or  FINE  ARTS/ 


Fio.  83. — High  and  low  crossbars. 

densed  pen-drawn  letters  with  the  lobes  of  a,  d,  o,  and  p 
changed  to  small  circles.  These  simple  changes  make  a  decided 
change  in  the  appearance  of  the  lettering.  In  this  figure  is 
included  a  number  of  variations  in  the  lobe  of  the  letter  g. 


Cyma 


Fia.  84.— Cy- 
ma crossbar. 


This   particular  letter  offers   many   opportunities  for  clever 
changes  in  its  size  and  shape. 

In  letters  which  contain  crossbars,  the  position  of  the  bars  may 
be  made  higher  or  lower  than  customary.  Fig.  83.    Sometimes  the 


3was 


voria+ions. 


FiQ.  85. — Swash  variations. 

crossbar  is  changed  to  a  cyma.  Fig.  84,  and  in  certain  styles  of 
letters  the  crossbar  is  slanted  in  lower  case  e.  Modifications  of 
the  swash  strokes,  Fig.  85,  may  be  treated  quite  freely,  especially 
when  these  strokes  are  near  either  extremity  of  a  word. 

In  changing  the  finish  of  a  letter  the  first  principle  to  be 
kept  in  mind  is  that  a  change  in  the  finish  requires  every 


SHOW-CARD  ALPHABETS 


89 


Oxfords 

^Shoc  Scfvlcc 
CxiYaofdinaf 


iiiiiiilll 


Fia.  86. — Light-face  letters. 


THE 


rUPERIOR  I" 


UALITiEX 


PLEASING  IN 
APPEARANCE 


Fig.  87. — Bold-face  or  poster 
letters. 


II 


11 


m 


SUOW-CAKD  WRITIXG 


Other  similar  letter  to  be  changed  likewise  if  harmony  is  to 
be  preserved.  This  applies  only  to  variations  in  the  finish  and 
not  to  variations  in  the  forms  or  shapes  of  letters.  In  modify- 
ing letter  forms,  such  as  was  done  in  making  small  lobes  in  Fig. 
82,  it  is  not  essential  that  all  rounded  letters  be  changed.  But 
when  the  finish  of  a  letter  is  modified,  this  modification  must 
be  carried  out  through  the  entire  alphabet.  For  example,  the 
strokes  may  be  made  thick  and  thin  as  in  the  Roman  letters.  Fig. 
61 ,  or  kept  to  a  uniform  thickness  as  in  the  single-stroke  letters, 
Fig.  83.    Whichever  is  done,  the  change  must  be  made  through- 


ROOM 

FOR 

RENT 


Fig.  88. — Plain  accented  letters  without 
serifs. 

out  the  alphabet.  Roman  letters  should  not  be  mixed  in  with 
single-stroke  letters.  The  same  rule  applies  in  carrying  out  one 
style  of  serifs  throughout  an  alphabet. 

There  are  other  modifications  to  the  stroke  than  those  found  in 
the  Roman  and  single-stroke  styles  of  letters.  When  the  face  of 
the  letter  is  light,  the  style  is  called  light-face.  An  example  of 
light-face  lettering  is  to  be  found  in  the  shoe  advertisement  in 
Fig.  86.  When  the  face  is  heavy,  it  is  known  as  bold-face.  An 
entire  card  done  in  bold-face  or  poster  letters  is  shown  in  the 
clothing  card,  Fig.  87. 

Another  and  perhaps  the  simplest  and  most  common  way  of 
changing  the  finish  of  a  letter  is  that  of  changing  the  style  of 
serif.  The  serifs  should  all  be  of  the  same  style  throughout  the 
alphabet.     This  point  should  not  be  overlooked.     In  beginner's 


SlIOWCAIW  AI.PU ABETS 


01 


work  one  sometimes  finds  two  or  even  three  different  kinds  of 
serifs  in  the  same  alphabet.  If  a  slanting  serif  is  selected  for 
the  tips  of  the  ascenders,  letters  with  horizontal  serifs  should 
not  be  used.  The  serifs  at  the  base  of  the  letters  are  usually 
kept  horizontal,  however,  regardless  of  the  way  the  serifs  on 
the  ascenders  are  made. 


S«S&tt.a 


Labor 


Day: 


Fig.  89. — An  unusual  announcement 
card  in  which  serifs  with  square 
ends  are  used. 

Serifs  may  be  made  in  a  number  of  different  styles,  long,  short, 
wavy,  turned  inward,  outward,  with  square,  rounded,  or  pointed 
ends,  the  inside  angle  where  they  join  the  stems  rounded  or 
left  sharp,  or  the  letters  may  be  made,  as  in  the  "Room  for 
Rent"  sign.  Fig.  88,  with  the  serifs  omitted  altogether.  In  the 
lettered  Labor  Day  announcement,  shown  in  Fig.  89,  the  serifs 
are  made  heavy  and  with  square  tips.  A  pointed  style  of  serif 
is  shown  in  the  Roman  brush  or  pen  alphabet,  Fig.  61.  The 
Tuscan  letters,  Fig.  60,  are  examples  of  curved  serifs.     In  the 


92 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


Spoonbill  engrossing  alphabet,  Fig.  90,  the  letters  are  shown 
with  serifs  turned  both  inward  and  outward.  Round,  blunt 
serifs  are  used  in  the  Roman  letters  of  Fig.  61.    The  full  block 


/IBCDEFGHUKL 
MA[0PQR5TUYW 

XYZ 

abcddcFgbijkrmn 


Fig.  00. — I'en  alphabet  with  serifs  turned  both  inward  and  outward. 

letters,  Fig.  79,  are  examples  of  letters  with  the  angle  left  sharp 
at  the  intersection  of  the  stem  and  serif. 

Shading  and  Other  Decorating. — Card  writing  inherited  eer- 

mWdcfm  MJUtmn 


ABC^Ef^m 


Fig.  91. — Drop  shading. 

tain  characteristics  from  sign  painting,  one  of  which  is  shading, 
Fig.  91.  It  is,  however,  a  branch  of  commercial  art  and  should 
be  judged  by  the  standards  of  commercial  art  rather  than  those 
common  to  the  painting  of  signs.  It  is  a  fundamental  law,  main- 
tained in  applied  art,  that  imitations  are  always  bad  taste.  In- 
terior decorators,  for  example,  consider  linoleum  floor  covering 


SHOW-CARD  ALPHABETS 


03 


as  bad  taste  when  the  patterns  imitate  hardwood  floors,  although 
they  consider  patterns  plainly  of  linoleum  character  quite  proper. 
Architects  likewise  consider  concrete  houses  in  good  taste  as  Ion 


g 


DEiVHONSTR-ft^TIOlMS    OF" 

'  '^  ^^^      cow  KERNELS  !  5J 


Fig.  92. — A  convention  booth  with  lettering  embellished  by  outline  relief  in 

the  large  sign  overhead. 

as  they  imitate  no  other  material  than  concrete.  Judged  by 
these  same  standards  it  is  not  good  taste  to  imitate  shadows 
underner.th  lettering,  since  show-card  paints  do  not  cast  shadows 


L«ft 

Shode. 


Right 
Shode. 


Drop  Bevel 

Shade.     Relief 
Shoding 


Fig.  93. — Four  different  methods  of  shading. 

like  letters  cut  from  stone.  The  practice  of  shading  is  not  so 
widely  followed  as  it  was  formerly.  Outlines  around  the  letters, 
Fig.  92,  are  quite  proper,  and  are  not  only  easier  for  the  be- 


INTENTIONAL  SECOND  EXPOSURE 


92 


snowcAh'D  wiiirisa 


Spoonbill  engrossing  alphabet,  Fig.  90,  the  letters  are  shown 
with  serifs  turned  both  inward  and  outward.  Round,  blunt 
serifs  are  used  in  the  Roman  letters  of  Fig.  61.    The  full  block 


/IBCDEFGHUKL 
MA[0PQR5TUYW 

XYZ 
abcddeFghijkfmti 


Fk;.  Ito. —  I'en  ali)hulH't  with  scrils  tiiiiud  l>()tli  iriwanl  and  outward. 

letters.  Fig.  79,  are  examples  of  letters  with  the  angle  left  sharp 
at  the  intersection  of  the  stem  and  serif. 

Shading  and  Other  Dccoraiing. — Card  writing  inherited  cer- 


Acf0%t)U%mu 


Vm).  ftl. — Drop  shadint;. 

tain  characteristics  from  sign  painting,  one  of  which  is  shading. 
Fig.  91.  It  is,  however,  a  branch  of  commercial  art  and  should 
be  judged  by  the  standards  of  commercial  art  rather  than  those 
common  to  the  painting  of  signs.  It  is  a  fundamental  law,  main- 
tained in  applied  art,  that  imitations  are  always  bad  taste.  In- 
terior decorators,  for  example,  consider  linoleum  floor  covering 


SnOW-CARD  ALPHABETS 


03 


as  bad  taste  when  the  patterns  imitate  hardwood  floors,  although 
they  consider  patterns  plainly  of  linoleum  character  quite  proper. 
Architects  likewise  consider  concrete  houses  in  good  taste  as  long 


DE7VlONSTR.-A.TI02SrS    OF* 


COFPEE 


nmmmM 


J' 


1:^   MKYMfflD 

S^oxvS      com  KERNELS 


Fig.  02. — A  convention  booth  with  lottering  embellished  by  outline   relief  in 

the  larse  sij^n  overhead. 

as  they  imitate  no  other  material  than  concrete.  Judged  by 
these  same  standards  it  is  not  good  taste  to  imitate  shadows 
underncr.th  lettering,  since  show-card  paints  do  not  cast  shadows 


Left 

Shode. 


R  ight 
Shode 


Drop  Bevel 

Shade.      Relief 


Shodtng 
Fig.  93. — I'our  different  methods  of  shading. 

like  letters  cut  from  stone.  The  practice  of  shading  is  not  so 
widely  followed  as  it  was  formerly.  Outlines  around  the  letters. 
Fig.  92,  ai-e  quite  proper,  and  are  not  only  easier  for  the  be- 


I 


u 


8U0WCAIW  WRITING 


ginner  to  make,  but  they  achieve  the  same  result  as  shading, — 
that  of  adding  emphasis  to  the  letter  or  word.  Four  different 
methods  of  shading  are  illustrated  in  Fig.  93,  the  left,  right, 
drop,  and  bevel  relief.  Although  only  a  few  letters  are  illus- 
trated, the  principles  are  shown  clearly  and  simply  so  that  the 
shading  for  an  entire  alphabet  may  be  drawn  easily  whenever 
there  is  occasion  to  make  use  of  shaded  letters. 


t 


BARGAm 


Fig.  r»4.— a  tarcl  in  which  the  lettor  faces  are  decorated  with  vertical  lines. 

There  are  a  number  of  suitable  methods  of  decorating  letters 
which  are  just  as  effective  as  shading.  One  method  k  to  make 
the  face  of  the  letter  a  different  tone  from  that  of  the  outline. 
The  outline  may  be  set  off  from  the  stroke  of  the  letter  as  in 
the  words  ** Brown  Beauty  Beans"  in  the  booth  decorations  in 
Fig.  92,  or  be  actually  set  on  the  edge  of  the  letter  face  as  in 
the  words  "Jack  Sprat"  in  the  same  picture.  Other  effective 
decorations,  especially  suited  to  bold-face  lettering,  are  those  of 
striping  or  decorating  the  letter  face,  Fig.  94,  or  of  drawing 
wavy  or  saw-toothed  edges  to  the  letters  with  the  strokes  discon- 
cected  to  resemble  stenciling,  Fig.  95. 


.SffOrvC.ih'D  ALPHABETS 


95 


Originating  Modifications, — Modifications  should  not  be  made 
until  one  is  able  to  letter  well.  The  shortest  cut  to  proficiency 
is  by  learning  lettering  step  by  step  and  not  by  making  fancy 
letters  before  one  is  able  to  make  good  one-stroke  letters. 

Since  an  alphabet  may  be  rearranged  into  groups  of  letters  of 
similar  construction,  as  in  Fig.  12,  page  18,  it  is  easy  to  see  that 
in  most  cases  modifications  will  apply  to  entire  groups  at  a  time. 
These  groups  include  straight  line  letters,  curved  line  letters,  and 
letters  made  from  combinations  of  straight  and  curved  lines. 
After  the  letters  in  the  alphabet  have  been  grouped  thus,  modifi- 
cations are  more  easily  made.    A  modification  should  be  repeated 


JTALE 


Fig.  0.5. — Heavy  poster  letters  with  serrated  or  saw-toothed  outlines  and  a 

stencilled  effect. 

wherever  the  element  modified  reappears  in  the  alphabet.  For 
example,  if  a  slight  curve  is  given  to  the  tip  of  the  descender  of 
a  lower  case  p  in  place  of  a  serif,  the  descender  in  q  is  treated 
likewise.  On  the  other  hand,  it  would  not  do  to  make  a  full 
round  lobe  in  a  letter  like  lower  case  b  and  a  flattened  oval  lobe 
in  lower  case  d. 

After  one  is  familiar  with  the  alphabet  it  will  not  be  so  neces- 
sary to  divide  the  letters  into  groups  in  order  to  devise  modi- 
fications. Experience  will  determine  where  the  changes  will 
be  proper  and  appropriate.  It  should  also  be  kept  in  mind  that 
modifications  are  more  effective  when  there  are  but  two  or  three 
in  the  alphabet.  If  too  many  modifications  are  made,  the  letters 
are  confusing  in  appearance  and  are  not  so  easily  read. 

Freak  Letters. — Amateurs  often  make  the  mistake  of  originat- 
ing freakish  letters.  Fig.  96.  Such  lettering  involves  a  large 
amount  of  work  and  a  certain  amount  of  skill.    The  result,  how- 


96 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


ever,  is  so  ungainly  and  so  lacking  in  good  taste  as  to  be  hardly 
worth  the  effort  spent  upon  it.     The  amateur  would  do  better 


Fig.  96. — A  clever  but  impractical  example  of  freak  lettering. 


if  he  would  use  standard  forms  entirely  and  learn  how  to  use 
them  to  good  effect.  The  poster  style  in  Fig.  97  is  a  style  of 
freak  lettering  which  has  some  merit  and  would  be  entirely  proper 
to  use  on  certain  work.    It  is  not  difficult  to  make  and  is  very 


SHOW-CARD  ALPHABETS 


97 


effective.    The  best  method  of  studying  lettering  is  to  learn  the 
elementary  letters  well,  then  the  other  styles,  and  depend  upon 


ABCDEFCHM 
JKLMNOPQR 
STUVWXyZXi 

•'  n  POTTER  jryLB » 


Fig.  97. — A  practical   style  of  freak   lettering. 

variety  in  the  layout  or  appropriate  modifications  for  striking 
effects. 
33.   Practice  Strokes. — The  necessity  for  practice  in  making 


Fig.  98. — Practice  strokes  suitable  for  any  style  of  lettering. 

letter  strokes  cannot  be  too  greatly  emphasized.  Practice  is  as 
necessary  for  one  learning  to  letter  as  it  is  for  one  learning  to 
become  a  musician.  A  set  of  practice  strokes  is  given  in  Fig. 
98.    It  is  quite  common  custom  among  commercial  lettering  men 


i\ 


08 


.v//oir-r.t/.7>  wh'iTixa 


to  devote  the  first  few  minutes  of  the  work  in  the  morning  to 
practice  strokes.  If  experienced  men  attach  such  importance 
to  these  exercises,  it  is  apparent  that  the  beginner  should  give 
them  ample  attention.  By  ample  attention  is  meant  conscious 
effort.  It  is  not  enough  merely  to  draw  these  exercises  over 
and  over.  The  mind  should  be  alert  and  concentrated  upon  the 
drawing  of  each  stroke.  One  who  thinks  as  he  works  and  works 
with  his  whole  heart  learns  lettering  in  the  least  amount  of  time. 


'* 


!i: 


CHAPTER  IV 
PRINCIPLES  OF  PLACING  AND  ARRANGEMENT 

"Pay  more  attention  to  effective  ar- 
rangement. Therein  lies  one  big  reason 
why  the  average  show-card  man  never 
Kets  further  than  the  time  clocli  and 
Saturday  envelope." 

Wm.  Hugh  Gordon. 

34.  Purpose  of  Cards. — The  ultimate  purpose  of  a  card  is 
to  sell  goods.  First,  it  should  attract  the  purchaser's  attention; 
and,  second,  it  should  induce  him  to  buy.  The  card  .should  be 
fashioned  in  such  a  way  as  to  accomplish  these  purposes.  For 
example,  an  automobile  supply  company  wishes  a  card  to  go 
with  a  window  display  of  wrenches  and  a  jewelry  concern  washes 
a  card  to  go  with  a  show-case  display  of  baby  rings.  In  this 
case  there  is  a  difference  in  location,  goods  offered,  and  in  the 
probable  purchasers.  To  meet  such  requirements  the  .style  and 
layout  should  be  planned  carefully,  and  the  science  of  arrange- 
ment or  composition  studied  and  applied.  This  will  require  con- 
siderable attention  at  first,  but  later  on  the  more  experienced 
card  designer  will  find  that  he  is  able  to  make  an  effective  layout 
without  any  great  effort. 

35.  Importance  of  Composition. — Composition  is  a  study  of 
the  science  of  arranging  the  lines,  paragraphs,  and  pictures  so 
that  they  have  a  pleasing  relation  to  one  another.  In  card  writ- 
ing good  composition  emphasizes  and  brings  out  the  sales  argu- 
ment. Placing  and  arrangement  of  lettering  are  of  more  im- 
portance than  precise  and  exact  construction.  An  inscription 
poorly  arranged  loses  all  its  power,  while  an  inscription  arranged 
in  a  high-grade  manner  commands  attention  in  spite  of  flaws  in 
the  construction  of  the  letters. 

A  rough  pencil  plan  of  a  composition,  showing  the  size  of 
the  margin,  the  location  and  size  of  the  lines,  paragraph,  or  pic- 
tures placed  on  the  card,  is  known  as  a  layout.  Laying  out 
effective  composition  involves  the  application  of  the  useful  prin- 
ciples of  art.  A  general  idea  exists  that  the  principles  of  art 
are  not  practical,  but  this  is  not  true.    The  term  ** artistic^*  is 

99 


I 


100 


SHOW-CARD  WRITINa 


Fig.  99. — A  crowded  and  poorly  arranged  booth  display. 


Fig.  100. — A  neat  and  well  arranged  booth  display. 


PRINCIPLES  OF  ARRANGEMENT 


101 


too  often  applied  to  fanciness.  This  is  a  mistake,  as  fanciiias.s 
is  quite  often  bad  taste.  The  term  ''artistic"  applied  rightly, 
means  good  taste,  or  containing  quality.  Good  taste  in  turn 
means  fitness  or  suitability.  An  artistic  card  is  one,  therefore, 
which  is  suited  to  the  place  and  purpose  for  which  it  was  in- 
tended. 

The  problem  of  good  placipg  and  arrangement  applies  not  only 
to  the  matter  lettered  upon  the  cards  but  to  the  arrangement 
of  the  display  in  which  the  cards  are  used.  Two  illustrations  are 
shown,  Figs.  99  and  100,  in  which  the  contrast  between  a  poorly 
arranged  and  badly  jumbled  display  of  cards  and  a  neatly  ar- 
ranged and  well  planned  display  is  shown.  In  Fig.  99  the  dis- 
play is  so  confused  that  the  eye  goes  from  card  to  card,  resting 
nowhere  except  when  it  is  momentarily  held  by  the  large  capital 
letters.  Some  of  the  cards  face  the  observer  and  some  are  at  an 
angle.  The  pictures  and  cards  are  crowded  in  together  so  that 
several  overlap.  In  Fig.  100  the  cards  are  arranged  so  that  they 
face  the  observer,  none  of  them  overlap,  and  they  are  easily 
read.  The  pictures  and  diagrams  are  arranged  in  a  very  effec- 
tive and  pleasing  manner.  All  of  these  cards  have  a  chance 
to  tell  their  story  while  the  cards  in  Fig.  99  are  apt  to  be  un- 
noticed and  unread.  From  the  standpoint  of  results,  it  is  quite 
evident  that  much  of  the  time  and  money  spent  on  the  poorly 
arranged  exhibit  would  be  lost  while  the  results  from  the  other 
would  be  sufficient  to  fulfil  completely  the  expectations  of  those 
who  planned  it.  The  same  is  as  true  in  the  display  of  merchan- 
dise as  it  is  in  the  examples  shown  here. 

Card  writers  are  realizing  the  importance  of  the  placing  and 
arrangement  of  the  lettering  upon  the  cards  as  well  as  that  of  the 
display  itself.  More  thought  is  being  put  into  the  mechanical 
arrangement  so  that  the  layout,  lettering,  and  color  scheme  will 
be  attractive  and  effective.  More  thought  is  being  given  to  the 
wording  of  the  card  so  that  the  best  possible  selling  points  will 
be  brought  out  in  the  most  convincing  manner.  Cards  so  designed 
sell  easily,  command  good  prices,  and  harmonize  well  with  the 
window  display.  Since  cards  form  a  very  vital  element  in  most 
window  displays  those  which  actually  promote  sales  are  well 
worth  good  prices. 

36.  Laws  of  Composition. — It  should  be  recognized  that 
composition  is  a  power  and  like  all  other  powers  is  dependent  on 


t   I 


INTENTIONAL  SECOND  EXPOSURE 


100 


mOWCARD  WRITING 


Vui.  99. — A  crowded  and  poorly  arranged  booth  display. 


I'm.  100. — A  uoat  and  well  arraugod  booth  display. 


PRINCIPLES  OF  ARRAXGEMEXr 


101 


too  often  applied  to  faneiness.  Tliis  is  a  mistake,  as  fauciness 
is  ([uite  often  bad  taste.  Tlie  term  "artistic"  applied  rightly, 
means  good  ta.ste,  or  containing  (piality.  Good  taste  in  turn 
means  fitness  or  suitability.  An  artistic  card  is  one,  therefore, 
Avhich  is  suited  to  the  place  and  purpose  for  which  it  was  in- 
tended. 

The  problem  of  good  placing  and  arrangement  applies  not  only 
to  the  matter  lettered  upon  the  cards  but  to  the  arrangement 
of  the  display  in  which  the  cards  are  used.  Tw^o  illustrations  are 
shown,  Figs.  99  and  100,  in  which  the  contrast  between  a  poorly 
arranged  and  badly  jumbled  display  of  cards  and  a  neatly  ar- 
ranged and  well  planned  display  is  shown.  In  Fig.  99  the  dis- 
play is  so  confused  that  the  eye  goes  from  card  to  card,  resting 
nowhere  except  when  it  is  momentarily  held  by  the  large  capital 
letters.  Some  of  the  cards  face  the  observer  and  some  are  at  an 
angle.  The  pictures  and  cards  are  crowded  in  together  so  that 
several  overlap.  In  Fig.  100  the  cards  are  arranged  so  that  they 
face  the  observer,  none  of  them  overlap,  and  they  are  easily 
read.  The  pictures  and  diagrams  are  arranged  in  a  very  effec- 
tive and  pleasing  manner.  All  of  these  cards  have  a  chance 
to  tell  their  story  while  the  cards  in  Fig.  99  are  apt  to  be  un- 
noticed and  unread.  From  the  standpoint  of  results,  it  is  quite 
evident  that  much  of  the  time  and  money  spent  on  the  poorly 
arranged  exhibit  would  be  lost  Avhile  the  results  from  the  other 
would  be  sufficient  to  fulfil  completely  the  expectations  of  thase 
who  planned  it.  The  same  is  as  true  in  the  display  of  merchan- 
dise as  it  is  in  the  examples  shown  here. 

Card  writers  are  realizing  the  importance  of  the  placing  and 
arrangement  of  the  lettering  upon  the  cards  as  well  as  that  of  the 
display  itself.  More  thought  is  being  put  into  the  mechanical 
arrangement  so  that  the  layout,  lettering,  and  color  scheme  will 
be  attractive  and  effective.  More  thought  is  being  given  to  the 
w^ording  of  the  card  so  that  the  best  possible  selling  points  will 
be  brought  out  in  the  most  convincing  manner.  Cards  so  designed 
sell  easily,  command  good  prices,  and  harmonize  well  with  the 
window  display.  Since  cards  form  a  very  vital  element  in  most 
window  displays  those  w^hich  actually  promote  sales  are  well 
worth  good  prices. 

36.  Laws  of  Composition. — It  should  be  recognized  tliat 
composition  is  a  powder  and  like  all  other  powers  is  dependent  on 


' 
i 


fe 


102 


8U0WCARD  \\RITL\G 


certain  practical  laws.  The  laws  governing  composition  are  few 
in  number,  there  being  but  five  of  them:  Balance,  harmony, 
unity,  rhythm,  and  simplicity. 

37.  Symmetrical  Balance.— Two  panels  of  lettering,  each 
taking  up  the  same  space  and  having  the  same  style  of  lettering, 
placed  alongside  of  each  other  so  that  one  is  on  one  half  of  the 
card  and  the  other  on  the  other  half,  Fig.  101,  are  said  to  be 
balanced.  If  there  were  but  one  panel  of  lettering  and  this  were 
placed  in  the  center  of  the  card,  it  would  also  be  said  to  be 


This  ponol 

wHhouf 
"HiQ  o1hcr 

would  mdkt 

Hie  cord  un- 
balanced. 


This  panel 
coonlfer- 

balances 
the  other 
ct  the 
-left- 


Fig.  101. — Balance  of  equal  masses. 

balanced,  Fig.  102.  In  each  case,  whether  one  or  two  panels 
were  used,  there  would  -be  an  equal  mass  of  lettering  on  each 
side  of  a  vertical  center  line.  This  is  known  as  symmetrical 
balance. 

38.  Camouflaged  Balance. — When  a  single  panel  of  lettering 
is  used,  it  is  often  centered  so  as  to  have  equal  amounts  on  both 
sides  of  the  vertical  center  line,  but  when  two  panels  are  used, 
the  panels  are  usually  unequal  in  size.  To  balance  two  such  un- 
equal masses  requires  good  judgment  and  careful  planning.  Bal- 
ance cannot  be  easily  measured  by  any  rule  of  thumb.  The  prin- 
ciple upon  which  a  seesaw  operates  is  the  principle  which  must  be 


PRINCIPLES  OF  ARRANGEMENT 


103 


used,  Fig.  103.  On  a  seesaw  if  a  large  body  is  placed  on  one  end 
and  a  small  body  on  the  other  end,  to  secure  balance  the  small 
body  must  be  moved  out  along  the  board  the  same  proportional 
difference  in  distance  from  the  center  as  the  amount  the  large 
body  differs  proportionally  in  weight  to  that  of  the  small  body. 
Similarly,  to  balance  a  large  panel  of  lettering  with  a  small  panel 
the  small  panel  must  be  moved  away  from  the  center  far  enough 


^ 


Shirt 

ExceUemce 

Full 
Stochs 

I 
I 


[ ■ 

Fig.  102. — A  panel  of  lettering  balanced  as 
though  hung  from  a  pin  at  the  center 
of  the  top. 

SO  that  the  difference  in  distance  will  balance  the  difference  in 
size,  Fig.  104.  This  form  of  balance  may  be  called  camouflaged, 
occult,  hidden,  or  invisible  balance  because  the  designer  must 
decide  upon  the  proper  balance.  It  is  sometimes  difficult  to  pro- 
portion balance  since  there  are  other  things  besides  size  to  be 
considered.  The  designer  must  often  rely  upon  his  instincts  and 
feelings  in  forming  his  conclusion. 

39.   What  to  Balance. — Three  other  factors  besides  size  are 
considered  in  securing  balance,  namely,  tone,  shape,  and  color. 


104 


m 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


This  panel  alone  is  in 

BALAMCe 

in  this  position 


This  panel. with- 
out the  one  at 
the  ridht  .-would 
throw  the  card 
out  oT  l>a]ance  if 
lett  In  this  position. 


This  panel  is  in 
position  to  countop- 
babnce  the  one 
at  the  left  and  ap 
brings  the  card 
aym  into  balance 


Fig.  103. — ^The  seesaw  principle  of  balance. 


Fio.     104. — Balance     of     two    uneqtial 
areas. 


PRINCIPLES  OF  ARRANGEMENT 


105 


Pig.  105. — Balance  of  several  unequal  areas. 


A  small  darii  mass  placed 
to  baJanoc  a  ^/r^  rtaas    The 
^rgr  mass  is  twice  as  lardca* 
me.  dark  one  but  has   onty 
about  half  as  mxich  colorvahie 


Fio.  106. — Balance  of  masses  of  difTerent 

tones. 


Ill 


106 


mOWCARD  WRITIXQ 


The  masses  of  lettering,  and  there  may  be  more  than  two,  Fig. 
105,  may  be  different  in  tone.  If  one  is  lettered  in  heavy  strokes 
and  another  in  light,  thin  strokes,  one  mass  will  seem  quite  black 
and  the  other  gray  in  comparison,  Fig.  106.  If  the  masses  are 
different  in  shape,  the  unusual  shape  of  one  will  attract  more 
attention  than  the  unobtrusive  shape  of  the  other,  Fig.  107. 
The  masses  may  also  be  colored  differently.    The  balancing  of 


BOOKS 


"1 


New  BOOKS  AT 
AN  OCD   PFOCe 


....J 


Fig.  107. — Emphasis  by  means  of  contrast- 
ing sliapcs,  contrast  Iseing  softened  and 
harmony  improved  by  givinf?  the  cen- 
tral  mass  a  rectangular  outUne. 

colors  is  discussed  in  Chap.  V.  Since  all  three  of  the  factors, 
size,  tone,  and  shape,  are  sometimes  found  in  the  same  problem, 
the  same  procedure  must  be  followed  in  all  cases.  The  power 
of  attraction  that  each  mass  contains  must  be  determined  first, 
whether  that  attraction  be  due  to  its  size,  shape,  tone,  or  to  all 
three.  When  the  power  of  attraction  in  each  mass  has  been 
determined,  balance  is  secured  by  arranging  the  lettering  so  that 
the  distance  one  mass  stands  away  from  the  others  will  make  up 
for  the  difference  in  attraction,  Fig.  104.  The  principle  of  the 
seesaw  is  the  guide  in  each  case. 


PRINCIPLED  OF  ARRANGEMENT 


107 


40.  Actual  and  Optical  Centers. — The  actual  center  is  a 
point  located  midway  between  the  two  side  edges  of  the  card 
and  halfway  down  the  sheet.  Besides  the  actual  center  there  is 
another  center,  located  above  the  actual  center  and  slightly  to 
the  left,  which  must  be  considered  in  lettering  inscriptions. 
This  is  the  point  towards  which  we  instinctively  glance  when 
we  read  a  page  from  left  to  right  and  from  top  to  bottom  and 


T >' 

•  *  >                     I 

»  /I 

!                  •  '                  . 

•  *  t                   * 

•  \  /                     I 

;  \           /               ; 

Km 

•  ;/. I 

I  '                          >                                                                                                                   > 

'•  .'■     '»              : 

:  /          ^ 

•  '  '                     ! 

.                  '  \                  ' 

:          /  *          ; 

•  '  ^             ! 

i  .'' '-.  ; 

I    .  %    « 

■  /  •  I 

'/  .     \ 

- 


Fig.  108. — A  layout  for  a  single 
vertical  panel  of  lettei'ing, 
showing  a  comparison  of  the 
actual  center  with  the  optical 
center  and  of  equal  margins 
with  margins  of  better  pro- 
portions. 


CZZIEP 


Fig.  109. — Comparison  of  the  ac- 
tual center  with  the  optical 
center  on  horizontal  layouts. 


is  called  the  optical  center.  Initial  letters  and  illustrations  are 
generally  placed  near  this  point.  It  has  been  estimated  to  be 
about  l/20th  the  height  of  the  page  above  the  center.  Figs.  108 
and  109.  Because  of  this  optical  center,  panels  of  lettering  are 
usually  placed  so  that  the  lower  margin  is  a  little  larger  than 
the  top  margin,  Figs.  108  and  109. 

41.  Rules  for  Proportioning. — There  is  an  ancient  Greek 
law  that  may  be  used  in  proportioning  these  margins,  but  it 
requires  too  much  w^ork  to  be  practicable  in  show-card  writing. 
This  law  uses  proportions  which  have  a  relation  of  5 : 7 :  11. 
That  is,  if  the  area  of  the  lower  margin  has  eleven  square  inches, 


108 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


\.  ' 


I     ',,, 


I.  ': 


P 


the  top  margin,  being  next  in  size,  should  contain  seven  square 
inches,  and  the  side  margins  five  square  inches. 

Professor  Starch,  formerly  of  the  University  of  Wisconsin, 
has  worked  out  another  formula  for  proportioning  the  division 
of  a  page.  An  upper  division  line  is  drawn  across  the  page 
so  that  the  space  above  the  line  is  to  the  space  below  that  line 
as  3 :  5  approximately.  A  lower  division  lino  is  drawn  so  that 
the  space  below  that  line  is  to  the  space  above  that  line  as 
3 : 5.    This  divides  the  page  into  three  well  proportioned  areas, 


i 

Fig.  110a. 


Fig.  110b. 


Cards  with  divisions  in  the  proportion  of  3:5.     The  numbers  refer  to  the  rank 
in  importance  of  the  different  parts  of  the  card. 

Fig.  110  a,  in  which  about  an  equal  amount  of  lettering  may  be 
placed.  Fig.  110b  shows  how  this  proportion  may  be  used. 
Proportions  should  not  be  arranged  by  hard  and  fast  mechani- 
cal rules.  The  rules  should  be  studied,  however,  and  skill  ac- 
quired so  that  with  a  little  care  and  thought  areas  of  lettering 
can  be  arranged  so  that  they  will  contain  proper  proportions. 

42.  Harmony. — The  term  harmony  can  be  understood  better 
perhaps  if  it  is  defined  as  ** having  something  in  common.'* 
Panels  are  harmonious  when  they  have  some  sort  of  common 
relationship  to  one  another  in  size,  shape,  tone,  or  color.  Fig. 
Ill  shows  harmony  in  shape. 

If  more  than  one  style  of  lettering  is  used,  the  styles  them- 


PRINCIPLE8  OF  ARRANOEMENT 


109 


selves  should  have  something  of  a  relationship  to  each  other. 
Fig.  112.  In  laying  the  work  out,  slanted  and  horizontal  lines 
of  lettering  should  not  be  mixed  together,  nor  irregular  shapes 
given  to  the  masses  of  lettering  on  a  rectangular  card,  Fig.  113. 
The  card  and  the  panels  of  lettering  should  have  something  in 
common  in  their  shapes,  Fig.  111.  Harmony  must  always  be 
preserved  if  the  most  pleasing  effects  are  to  be  attained.  At 
times,  however,  contrast  is  desired  to  catch  the  eye  and  to  em- 


FiG.  111. — Layout  of  three  har- 
monious and  well-arranged 
panels. 

phasize  some  particular  spot.  Fig.  114.  Striking  contrasts, 
though  effective  for  their  purpose,  lack  the  dignity  and  refine- 
ment of  harmonious  pieces  of  work. 

The  style  of  the  lettering  should  harmonize  with  the  purpose 
of  the  card  and  its  location,  whether  it  is  on  a  counter  nearby 
or  in  a  window  where  its  purpose  is  to  catch  the  attention  of 
those  at  some  distance  outside.  The  card  should  also  harmon- 
ize with  the  goods  offered.  Sturdy,  substantial  styles  of  lettering 
are  suitable  for  advertising  sturdy,  substantial  goods,  while  ar- 
ticles of  a  delicate  nature  require  delicate,  refined  styles  of 
lettering.  The  borders  and  ornamentation  should  agree  with 
the  lettering.  A  card  containing  a  discordant  feeling  loses  in 
effectiveness.    A  simple,  dignified  border  for  use  in  a  card  re- 


II 


110 


snow  CARD  WRITING 


quiring  dignity  and  refinement  is  shown  in  the  studio  announce- 
ment, Fig.  63,  page  71. 

43.  Unity. — Unity  means  oneness,  and  its  application  to 
show  cards  means  that  sort  of  arrangement  which  binds  the 
various  parts  of  the  composition  together  in  style  and  character. 
It  means  planning  the  general  layout  and  grouping  its  elements 
so  as  to  make  it  appear  as  one  related  mass.  Unity  may  be 
gained  by  writing  the  lines  in  one  compact  mass,  obtaining  con- 


B4UA 

/k  IdJi^ks  ai  the 
M  vekiher. 


Fig.  112. — Harmony  between 
display  line  and  body  in 
style  of  lettering.  Empha- 
sis secured  by  contrasting 
weight  of  strokes. 

trast  by  using  capitals  in  the  first  and  last  lines,  Fig.  112. 
Sometimes  a  border  line  is  effective  in  tying  the  elements  to- 
gether. Separating  the  inscription  into  groups  of  lines  breaks 
it  up  into  various  shaped  panels.  These  panels  should  be  units 
of  one  complete  idea  or  plan.  All  details  must  be  grouped  to- 
gether thoughtfully,  giving  attention,  first,  to  the  larger  and 
more  important  units,  such  as  the  headlines.  Second,  considera- 
tion should  be  given  to  the  less  important  units  and  to  the  smaller 
details.  The  entire  card  may  be  arranged  so  that  the  most  im- 
portant part  of  the  inscription  will  be  located  at  the  most  im- 
portant place  on  the  card  and  the  less  important  parts  in  the  less 
important  locations.  Fig.  114.  This  is  especially  important  in  the 
placing  of  headlines  or  impprtant  sales  arguments. 


PRINCIPLES  OF  ARRANGEMENT 


111 


To  preserve  unity  too  many  unrelated  statements  should  not 
be  used  on  the  same  card.  The  less  unity  in  the  message  and 
the  more  scattered  its  layout,  the  less  power  the  card  has  to 
attract  the  eye.  The  eye  focuses  on  but  one  thing  at  a  time  so 
that  the  show  card  must  attract  it  from  other  things.  Purchasers 
do  not  look  for  show  cards.  The  cards  must  be  such  that  they 
force  themselves  on  the  customer's  attention.     This  cannot  be 


Try  Our 

Delidous 


W////^ 


Fio.    113. — Unrelated   shapes   lacking   in    harmony. 

lacking  in  unity. 


Disconnected   arrangement 


done  if  their  layouts  are  weak,  spotty,  and  lacking  in  unity. 
44.  Rhythm. — In  a  series  of  five  horizontal  panels  of  letter- 
ing if  the  largest  one  is  placed  near  the  center  of  the  card,  the 
next  smaller  ones,  one  above  and  one  below  it,  and  the  two  small- 
est ones,  one  at  the  top  and  one  at  the  bottom,  rhythm  is  created 
in  the  arrangement  of  the  masses.  Another  example  of  rhythm  is 
found  in  an  arrangement  where  the  type  is  largest  in  the  top 
paragraph  and  grows  smaller  toward  the  bottom  of  the  card. 
A  variation  of  such  rhythm  is  to  use  a  heavy  display  line  in 
capitals  at  the  top  of  the  card,  a  mass  of  medium-sized  letters 
below,  and  an  inscription  of  minor  importance  and  size  at  the 
bottom,  Fig.  111.    Rhythm  of  tone  may  be  produced  by  mak- 


< 


if! 


112 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


ing  the  strokes  heavy  in  one  part  of  tlie  card  and  light  in  an- 
other. 

i 

Repetition  is  another  form  of  rhythm.    A  certain  word  may 


ij-i     J  J 


Unofne^  encnanlea  Lueek 
Jaesupem 


/n^ 


U  drama 

o/  a 

uiousanci 
aeJUAis 

o 


Fig.  114. — Theater  card  using  contrast  in  the 
style  of  lettering  to  emphasize  the  name 
of  the  play. 

be  repeated  at  intervals  throughout  the  inscription  and  be 
lettered  in  the  same  style  and  weight  of  letters  wherever  it 
occurs.  If  it  contrasts  with  the  rest  of  the  lettering  and  occurs 
at  regular  and  well  chosen  intervals,  it  may  be  considered  as  an 
example  of  rhythm. 

If  paragraphs  or  units  are  lettered  in  contrasting  styles, 
making  one  light  and  another  dark,  rhythm  in  tone  will  be 
created.    If  a  card  contains  four  paragraphs  and  the  first  and 


PRINCIPLES  OF  ARRANGEMENT 


113 


third  are  in  heavy  letters,  and  the  second  and  last  in  light  letters, 
there  will  be  a  feeling  that  the  card  is  unfinished.  If  a  card 
contains  but  three  paragraphs  and  the  heading  or  first  para- 
graph and  the  closing  paragraph  are  lettered  in  heavy  sub- 
stantial letters,  Fig.  112,  the  feeling  that  something  is  to  be 
added  will  be  avoided.  Care  should  be  taken  to  plan  the  top 
and  bottom  masses  well. 

45.  Simplicity. — When  the  composition  has  but  one  general 
aim,  when  the  arrangement  is  free  from  over-ornamentation 
and  kept  simple,  the  inscription  has  its  greatest  chance  to  at- 
tract the  eye.  Complex  arrangements  are  confusing  and  weak. 
Borders  and  decorations  should  be  subdued,  rather  than  ac- 
cented, since  they  are  but  details  of  the  background  against 
which  the  lettering  stands  out.  A  simple  background  is  im- 
portant as  it  does  not  distract  the  eye  from  the  wording.  The 
mast  striking  and  effective  cards  are  those  in  which  the  follow- 
ing simple  rule  has  been  adhered  to;  do  but  one  thing,  in  one 
place,  at  one  time.  It  is  a  mistake  to  attempt  to  show  off  fancy 
lettering  and  promote  the  sale  of  some  article  of  merchandise 
at  the  same  time.  Simple  lettering  effectively  arranged  and  a 
minimum  amount  of  wording  dealing  directly  with  the  merchan- 
dise are  in  keeping  with  this  rule. 

At  one  time  it  was  quite  common  to  decorate  display  windows 
with  streamers,  pennants,  and  placards  all  calling  attention  to 
the  article  on  sale.  This  festooning  and  decorating  have  given 
way  to  displays  which  are  more  simple  and  effective.  Instead 
of  having  a  cluttered  mass  of  material  in  the  window,  the  display 
is  limited  to  a  few  articles  and  cards  so  that  the  spectator's 
attention  is  concentrated  on  a  few  strong  points  instead  of  being 
confused  by  a  dazzling  and  somewhat  confusing  conglomeration 
of  advertising  material. 

46.  Emphasis. — In  nearly  every  card  there  is  some  one  thing 
to  be  emphasized.  This  emphasis  may  be  secured  by  taking  ad- 
vantage of  the  various  laws  of  composition  and  using  them  to 
bring  out,  by  contrast,  some  particular  part  of  the  inscription. 
The  size  of  the  lettering  in  this  particular  part,  Fig.  112,  may 
contrast  enough  with  the  rest  of  the  lettering  to  emphasize  it 
or  it  may  be  emphasized  by  setting  it  apart  from  the  rest  of  the 
lettering.    The  part  to  be  emphasized  may  be  made  to  stand  out 


I 


114 


8H0^\^CARD  WRITING 


in  another  way  by  placing  it  at  or  near  the  optical  center,  Fig. 
114.  Emphasis  may  also  be  given  the  desired  part  by  having 
it  occupy  that  place  where  the  rhythm  of  the  page  reaches  its 
greatest  strength,  or  it  may  be  contrasted  with  the  tone  of  letter- 
ing used  in  the  other  parts  of  the  card  as  the  word  ** tailored*'  in 
the  Palm  Beach  suit  card,  Fig.  115. 


EibntBeadt 

Suits  Suit  are 

Taitoredjy 


Fig.  115. — Emphasis  gained  by  contrasUng  tones. 

Innumerable  ways,  including  special  border  designs,  may  be 
devised  for  emphasizing  words,  lines,  or  panels  of  lettering.  A 
curved  line  being  the  opposite  of  a  straight  line,  a  circle  offers 
the  greatest  contrast  to  a  rectangular  space  or  to  horizontal 
lines.  It  follows,  then,  that  a  circle  about  lines  of  lettering  will 
emphasize  the  lines.  Fig.  107.  By  resorting  to  such  methods  as 
these  even  better  emphasis  can  be  secured  than  by  the  use  of 
shading,  at  the  same  time  avoiding  the  cheapened  appearance 
which  shading  gives  to  a  show  card. 


PRINCIPLES  OF  ARRANGEMENT 


115 


47.  Controlling  the  Eye. — If  a  card  harmonizes  with  the 
display  in  a  window,  the  card  and  the  display  will  work  to- 
gether in  attracting  the  attention  of  the  passersby.  Their  atten- 
tion should  not  be  confined,  however,  to  the  display  line,  but 
should  be  held  until  they  finish  reading  the  card.  There  must 
be  a  connecting  link,  therefore,  between  the  display  line  and  the 
rest  of  the  inscription. 


oto/v\r) 


t   L..»rTy    Lp.f« 


¥ 


RltW  IT 


^&c\  doflMni^ 


S^ii 


"are. 


Fio.  116. — Lettering  emphasized  by  using 
wide  spacing  to  set  off  the  lines  of 
lettering.  The  vertical  lines  of  the 
column  give  the  card  dignity. 

The  eye  is  always  attracted  to  some  particular  point  first.  This 
point  may  be  an  initial,  a  price  mark,  or,  if  the  card  is  lettered 
in  one  harmonious  style,  it  may  be  the  optical  center.  The  eye 
always  travels  along  the  line  of  least  resistance,  going  next  to 
whatever  ranks  second  in  the  power  of  attraction.  The  price 
mark  need  not  necessarily  be  used  to  catch  the  eye,  but  the  letter- 
ing may  be  so  arranged  that  the  eye  is  unconsciously  led  to  take 
particular  notice  of  it.  Fig.  116.  This  may  be  accomplished  by 
making  the  numerals  heavy,  drawing  them  in  a  style  that  con- 
trasts with  the  lettering,  or  setting  them  away  from  the  rest  of 
the  inscription.     Whichever  method  is  followed,  the  most  im- 


116 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


1  1 


; 


!» 


II 


!l 


II 


portant  part  of  the  advertisement  should  be  placed  where  it  will 
be  the  center  of  interest.  Cards  should  be  so  designed  that  the 
path  the  eye  travels  can  almost  be  traced  to  the  center  of  interest. 

48.  Line  and  Mass. — The  elements  composing  the  layout  on 
a  card  may  be  said  to  consist  of  two  things,  line  and  mass.  The 
term  *Mine''  used  in  the  artistic  sense  of  the  word  may  refer  to 
letter  strokes  when  tbeir  nature  is  prominent  enough  to  give  a 
certain  character  to  the  entire  card.  A  card  done  in  a  tall  and 
narrow  '*01d  English"  type  will  have  the  appearance  of  being 
made  up  of  a  multitude  of  vertical  lines.  If  the  lines  are  har- 
monious, the  work  may  be  said  to  contain  good  line. 

This  same  term  may  also  be  applied  to  groups  or  panels  of 
words  when  they  are  so  arranged,  either  vertically  or  horizon- 
tally, as  to  have  a  linear  rather  than  a  bulky  effect.  A  card  with 
a  number  of  long,  slender,  vertical  panels,  arranged  in  columns, 
may  be  spoken  of  as  having  line  in  the  arrangement  of  its  para- 
graphs. Unusual  shapes  may  give  a  feeling  of  line  also  because 
of  the  peculiar  and  striking  nature  of  the  outline. 

The  term  mass  is  given  to  a  body  of  lettering  which  may  be 
considered  as  a  unit  in  planning  a  card.  Fig.  113  shows  an 
arrangement  in  whicli  there  are  two  long,  narrow,  horizontal 
panels  at  the  top.  These  panels  have  horizontal  line  since  the 
main  lines  and  the  axes  of  the  panels  are  laid  horizontally.  The 
two  lower  panels  are  arranged  differently.  Both  are  slanted,  and 
one  has  a  curved  shape.  The  larger  panel,  owing  to  its  slanted 
character,  may  be  spoken  of  as  a  mass  having  oblique  line.  The 
small,  curved  mass  is  comparatively  slender,  and  its  line  is  so 
much  more  evident  than  its  mass  that  the  term  line  may  be 
substituted  for  mass.  Since  lines  and  masses  are  both  subject  to 
the  same  laws,  there  is  a  lack  of  harmony  between  the  shape  of 
the  large  oblique  mass  and  the  upper  horizontal  masses.  Fur- 
thermore, there  is  also  a  lack  of  harmony  in  this  layout  between 
the  line  of  the  oblique  mass  and  the  line  of  the  upper  panels  as 
well  as  the  curved  line  close  to  the  oblique  mass  at  the  bottom. 
This  particular  card  fails,  therefore,  by  lacking  in  harmony  of 
both  line  and  mass. 

49.  Effects  of  Line. — The  direction  which  lines  of  lettering 
take  determines  the  impression  which  they  create.  A  confused 
arrangement  of  lines  creates  a  feeling  of  unrest  and  discord, 
just  as  an  untidy  room  creates  a  feeling  of  repugnance.    Well 


PRINCIPLES  OF  ARRANGEMENT 


117 


matched  lines  create  a  feeling  of  pleasure.  Lines  which  accent 
vertical  qualities,  as  in  the  monument  shown  in  Fig.  117,  create 
the  impression  of  dignity  and  loftiness.  A  condensed  *'  Old  Eng- 
lish" style  of  lettering  is  also  a  good  example.  It  is  interesting 
to  note  that  actors  playing  parts  representing  cold,  lofty,  digni- 
fied characters  often  resort  to  many  tricks  to  accent  the  vertical 
lines  in  both  the  costumes  and  the  scenery.  Horizontal  lines 
give  quiet,  peaceful  effects  and  a  feeling  of  repose.     One  may 


Fig.  117. — Well  planned  card,  the  units 
being  so  arranged  as  to  lead  the  eye 
from  one  unit  to  another.  The 
Illustration  was  traced  by  using 
a  carbon  copy  of  a  tracing. 

study  with  considerable  profit  the  horizontal  lines  in  paintings  of 
flat  country  scenes  in  Holland  or  architectural  designs  of  low, 
broad,  homelike  bungalows  and  note  the  feeling  of  repose. 
Curved  lines  are  graceful  and  informal,  but  when  overdone  they 
create  a  feeling  of  over-ornamentation  and  cheapness.  This  is 
a  fault  in  many  show  cards,  especially  where  flourishes  are  used. 
There  should  be  harmony  of  line  also  between  the  lettering  and 
the  card  upon  which  it  is  placed.  For  this  reason  an  excess  of 
accented  vertical  lines  should  not  be  used  on  a  card  whose  main 
proportion  is  horizontal. 


118 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


W 


i\ 


I4I 


Cards  should  not  be  cut  in  irregular  or  oblique  shapes.  There 
is  a  harmony  of  purpose  between  a  show  card  and  a  printed  page, 
and  there  should  also  be  harmony  in  their  shapes.  Magazines 
are  not  printed  in  slanting  or  irregular  lines,  nor  cut  in  fancy 
shapes.  The  purpose  of  all  lettering  is  that  it  be  read ;  and  fit- 
ness and  suitability  to  the  intended  purpose  are  the  first  prin- 
ciples of  composition. 

Reading  of  such  books  as  F.  A.  Parson's  "Principles  of  Ad- 
vertising Arrangement,''  \Vm.  H.  Gordon's  ''Lettering  for  Com- 
mercial Purposes,"  and  Thos.  Woods  Stevens'  "Lettering"  will 
be  found  interesting  and  helpful.  This  reading  should  be  sup- 
plemented w^ith  practice  work  in  designing  effective  layouts  and 
rearranging  the  lettering  on  cards  until  what  seems  the  best 
possible  layout  has  been  achieved.  It  is  a  good  plan  to  sketch 
the  layouts  of  magazine  advertisements  in  a  notebook  and  use 
them  for  study  and  reference.  This  reading  and  supplementary 
practice  should  develop  in  the  beginner  considerable  skill  in  ar- 
ranging layouts  and  do  much  to  give  personality  to  his  work  so 
that  his  cards  may  be  recognized  by  their  appearance  and  add 
to  his  prestige  as  a  card  writer. 


) 


CHAPTER  V 
COLOR 

"Color  Is  a  science,  not  a  fancy." 

Frank  Alvah  Parsons, 

•'I  cannot  fully  convince  myself  of  the 
thought  that  there  can  be  perfect  adver- 
tising without  color." 

A.  de  Montluzln. 

60.  Importance  of  Color. — The  use  of  color  in  show-card 
writing  should  be  regarded  as  a  science,  subject  to  certain  laws 
and  principles.  A  milliner  or  a  costume  designer  selects  the 
colors  to  be  used  on  a  hat  or  a  gown  according  to  the  effect 
those  colors  will  produce,  the  choice  of  color  depending  on  the 
purpose  of  the  hat  or  gown.  A  hat  or  a  gown  to  be  worn  at 
the  seashore  will  be  different  in  color  from  a  hat  or  a  gown  to  be 
worn  at  the  theater.  Show-card  writers  should  likewise  select 
colors  in  their  relation  to  the  advertising  of  merchandise. 

Harold  Parlin,  writing  in  Printers'  Ink  Monthly,  has  this  to 
say  in  regard  to  using  color  in  business : 

"It  makes  no  difference  what  line  of  business  you  are  in,  .  .  .  color 
has  more  to  do  with  your  success  or  failure  than  you  have  any  idea. 
You  cannot  follow  your  product  into  the  hands  of  one  user  without 
learnmg  that  color  has  much  to  do  with  the  regard  of  that  user  for 
the  goods.  It  may  be  an  automobile,  a  sheet  of  music,  a  tube  of  tooth 
paste,  an  office  device,  a  package  of  gum  or  cigarettes.  Color.  .  .  . 
often  decides  whether  the  advertisement  or  the  label  will  be  read  or 
not.    Color  rightly  employed  increases  sales.    Choose  it  wisely." 

The  principles  of  color  arrangement,  although  few  in  number, 
require  considerable  practice  and  study  before  they  are  mastered. 
However,  when  once  the  ability  to  select  and  use  colors  with 
facility  is  attained  it  will  lift  the  ambitious  card  writer  above  the 
rank  of  the  ordinary  card  writer.  Well  chosen  color  arrange- 
ments have  been  responsible  in  no  small  degree  for  elevating  the 
lettering  of  cards  from  a  trade  into  a  branch  of  commercial  art. 

61.  Color  Spectrum.— White  light  is  in  reality  a  compound 

119 


ill 


120 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


of  several  colors.  A  white  ray  of  light  from  the  sun  may  be 
divided  into  the  seven  colors  of  the  rainbow,  violet,  indigo,  blue, 
green,  yellow,  orange,  and  red,  by  allowing  the  light  to  pass 
through  a  prism.  These  colors  form  what  is  called  the  color 
spectrum. 

52.  Primary  Colors. — Tlie  primary  colors  are  red,  yellow, 
and  blue,  and  from  these  three  colors  all  other  colors  can  be 
made.  None  of  these  three  colors  contains  any  other  color  than 
itself  in  its  make-up,  so  that  the  number  cannot  be  reduced  to 
any  less  than  three.  Theoretically,  these  colors  when  mixed 
together  should  form  white,  and,  with  a  special  laboratory  equip- 
ment, this  is  possible  to  a  certain  degree.  A  show-card  color, 
however,  contains  a  pigment  for  its  base  and  is  not  transparent. 
Therefore,  in  mixing  show-card  paints  of  the  three  primary 
colors,  the  result  is  a  muddy  neutral  gray  instead  of  white. 

53.  How  the  Eye  Sees  Color. — A  color  painted  on  a  show 
card  absorbs  some  of  the  color  rays  that  compose  white  light 
and  reflects  the  others  back  to  the  eye.  These  reflected  rays  pro- 
duce the  sensation  of  that  color  within  the  eye.  For  instance, 
if  blue  is  painted  on  a  card  and  a  ray  of  white  light  falls  on  the 
card,  the  red  and  yellow  rays  will  be  absorbed  and  the  blue  rays 
reflected  to  the  eye,  producing  the  sensation  of  blue  color. 

54.  Color  Wheel. — Primary  Colors. — To  study  color  forma- 
tion properly,  a  color  wheel.  Fig.  118,  should  be  constructed  of 
colored  paper  discs.  If  desired,  colors  may  be  used  instead  of 
colored  paper.  To  make  this  color  wheel,  a  circle  should  be 
drawn  on  a  piece  of  cardboard  using  a  radius  of  2%  in.,  a  %  in- 
circle  drawn  in  the  center  of  this  large  circle,  and  a  disc  of 
neutral  gray  paper  pasted  in  the  small  circle.  Twelve  similar 
circles  should  then  be  drawn  at  equal  distances  from  each  other 
about  the  large  circle,  using  a  30  by  60  degrees  triangle  to  locate 
their  positions.  On  the  small  circle  at  the  top,  a  disc  of  pure 
yellow  should  be  pasted;  one-third  of  the  distance  around  the 
large  circumference  and  to  the  right,  a  disc  of  pure  red.  Fig.  118 ; 
and  at  the  left  and  at  the  same  distance  around,  a  disc  of  pure 
blue.  The  three  primary  colors  will  then  be  arranged  equidis- 
tant about  the  color  wheel  with  neutral  gray  in  the  center. 
Heavy  solid  lines  may  be  drawn  from  these  primary  colors  to  the 
disc  of  neutral  gray  so  that  these  colors  may  be  distinguished 
easily  from  those  added  later. 


COLOR 


121 


Secondary  or  Binary  Colors.— In  the  circle,  halfway  between 
the  red  and  yellow  discs,  a  disc  of  pure  orange  should  be  placed. 
Orange  is  a  secondary  color  and  is  placed  midway  between  the 
red  and  the  yellow  because  it  is  made  by  mixing  equal  amounts 
of  these  two  colors  together.    Halfway  between  the  yellow  and  the 
blue  a  disc  of  pure  green  should  be  pasted ;  then  a  disc  of  pure 
purple  midway  between  the  red  and  the  blue.    Green  is  a  half 
and  half  mixture  of  yellow  and  blue,  while  red  and  blue  mixed 
together  produce  purple.    These  new  colors,  orange,  green,  and 
purple,  cannot  be  called  primary  colors  as  they  are  mixtures 
made  by  combining  two  colors.    They  are,  therefore,  called  secon- 
dary or  binary  colors  since  they  are  produced  by  combining  two 
primary  colors  together  in  equal  amounts.    A  thin  line  may  be 
drawn  from  these  secondary  colors  to  the  neutral  gray  in  the 
center  so  that  they  may  be   more   easily  located.     This  line 
should  be  thinner  than  the  line  connecting  the  primary  colors 
with  the  central  disc  of  gray,  to  avoid  confusion. 

Tertiary  or  Gray  Colors.— There  are  but  three  tertiary  colors, 
citrine,  russet,  and  olive.  If  green  and  violet  are  combined. 
Fig.  119,  olive  is  obtained  which  is  a  tertiary  or  gray  color  since 
it  contains  each  of  the  three  primary  colors  in  its  composition,  the 
green  containing  the  two  primaries,  yellow  and  blue,  and  the 
violet  containing  the  two  primaries,  blue  and  red.  All  colors 
containing  the  three  primaries  in  their  composition  are  known  as 
grays.  Grays  which  are  formed  by  combining  two  secondary 
colors,  such  as  green  and  violet,  are  tertiary  colors.  The  other 
two  tertiary  colors  are  formed  by  mixing  orange  with  purple, 
which  forms  russet,  and  green  with  orange  which  forms  citrine. 

55.  Hue. — In  the  color  wheel  there  is  still  left  an  unoc- 
cupied circle  between  each  color  disc.  These  circles  may  be 
filled  in  by  placing  a  disc  of  red-orange  between  the  red  and 
the  orange,  a  disc  of  yellow-orange  between  the  orange  and  the 
yellow,  a  disc  of  yellow-green  between  the  yellow  and  the  green, 
and  a  disc  of  blue-green  between  the  green  and  the  blue.  In 
the  same  way,  a  blue-purple  disc  may  be  placed  between  the 
blue  and  the  purple  and  a  disc  of  purple-red  between  the  purple 
and  the  red.  Each  of  these  colors  contains  one  primary  color 
mixed  with  some  other  color.  Any  color  made  by  tinting  a 
primary  color  with  another  color  is  known  as  a  hue.  These 
six  hues,  together  with  the  three  secondaries  and  the  three  pri- 


I 

H 


122 


SHOW-CARD  WRITIXG 


niaries,  compose  the  color  wheel,  Fig.  118.  The  hues  may  be 
joined  to  the  center  by  dotted  lines. 

Each  of  the  hues  shown  is  made  from  equal  parts  of  a  secondary 
color  and  a  primary  color  mixed  together.  Since  a  secondary 
color  contains  two  primaries,  each  of  the  hues  shown  on  the 
color  wheel  may  be  considered  as  made  up  of  three  parts  of  one 
primary  to  one  part  of  another  primary.  This  is  illustrated  in 
Fig.  120  where  yellow  and  orange  are  combined  to  make  yellow- 
orange.  As  orange  is  a  secondary  color  derived  from  a  com- 
bination of  red  and  yellow  in  equal  portions,  there  will  be 
in  the  yellow-orange  hue  three  parts  of  yellow  to  one  part 
of  red. 

66.  Complementary  Colors. — If  a  straight  line  is  draw^n  from 
one  color  through  the  center  of  the  color  wheel  to  the  color  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  wheel,  the  colors  at  each  end  of  the  line  will 
be  found  to  be  totally  unlike.  Such  colors  are  called  comple- 
mentary colors,  being  colors  oppasite  each  other  on  the  color 
wheel  and  opposite  in  their  very  nature.  Furthermore,  there  is 
no  similarity  in  the  colors  from  which  they  are  made.  For 
example,  the  complementary  of  red  is  green  which  is  made  from 
yellow  and  blue.  All  of  the  three  primary  colors  are  to  be  found 
in  these  two  complementary  colors,  but  neither  the  red  nor  the 
green  contains  all  three  in  itself,  Fig.  121.  What  one  color  lacks, 
the  other  contains. 

57.  Advancing  and  Beceding  Colors. — Some  colors  seem  to 
be  less  obtrusive  than  others  and  give  the  effect  of  distance. 
Others  seem  to  come  up  close  and  are  sometimes  spoken  of  as 
** slapping  one  in  the  face."  Experiments  have  shown  that  rooms 
finished  in  blue  or  white  seem  much  larger  than  rooms  finished 
in  red.  Red  is  an  advancing  color  and  makes  the  walls  appear 
closer,  w4iile  blue  and  white  are  receding  colors  and  make  the 
walls  appear  farther  away. 

Yellow  gives  the  same  effect  of  distance  as  white,  but  not  in 
80  pronounced  a  degree.  When  a  spot  of  yeUow  is  placed  on  a 
white  card,  the  advancing  effect  is  considerably  retarded  by  the 
influence  of  the  white.  The  yellow^  seems  more  distant  than 
when  it  stands  alone.  Other  receding  colors  are  blue,  green,  and 
violet  which  give,  more  or  less,  the  effect  of  distance.  Pure 
colors  are  more  advancing  than  gray  colors.  Light  colors  carry 
better  on  dark  mounts,  while  dark  colors  are  more  advancing 


tl    I 


COLOR 


123 


when  used  on  white  cards,  Fig.  122.  A  receding  color  like  yellow, 
when  surrounded  by  a  dark  tone,  may  become  quite  advancing  in 
character.  Yellow  letters  on  a  black  or  dark  background  are 
quite  often  used  in  show-card  advertising. 

The  effects  produced  by  advancing  and  receding  colors  should 
be  kept  in  mind  when  colors  are  selected  for  either  cards  or  letter- 
ing. Many  times  windows  and  counters  are  poor  in  their  location 
and  advancing  colors  must  be  used  if  the  attention  of  the  pass- 
ersby  is  to  be  caught  at  all.  Outdoor  cards  read  by  travelers 
passing  rapidly  by  necessarily  require  colors  which  are  of  an 
advancing  and  carrying  quality.  On  the  contrary,  the  quiet, 
restful  atmosphere  of  many  a  fashionable  tea  room  or  ice  cream 
parlor  has  been  disturbed  by  the  use  of  colors  which  are  too 
advancing  on  the  cards  placed  about  the  room. 

58.  Influence  of  Adjoining  Colors.— Unlike  colors,  when 
placed  next  to  each  other,  tinge  one  another  with  their  coraple- 
mentaries.  Red  and  green  both  become  more  intense  when  placed 
in  adjoining  positions.  The  complementary  of  red  is  green  which 
intensifies  the  adjoining  green  color.  Since  red  is  the  comple- 
mentary  of  green,  the  red  also  becomes  intensified.  For  this 
reason  a  woman  with  a  light  complexion  appears  less  pale  when 
she  dresses  in  green.  Since  complementary  colors  intensify 
each  other  when  placed  near  one  another  they  should  be  handled 
carefully.  To  avoid  jarring  effects  the  colors  should  be  grayed 
and  not  used  in  their  full  purity. 

If  neutral  gray  is  surrounded  by  a  clear  color,  the  gray  color 
becomes  tinged  with  the  complementary  of  the  other  color,  such 
as  gray  surrounded  by  green  which  gives  the  gray  a  red  cast. 
Fig.  122.  Three  other  similar  examples  are  shown  in  the  same 
figure.  The  tinge  given  to  the  gray  is  most  noticeable  at  the 
edge  of  the  gray  color  and  becomes  more  noticeable  the  longer 
one  stares  at  the  two  colors. 

A  color  may  seem  to  be  darker  or  lighter,  Fig.  123,  according 
to  the  influence  of  the  adjoining  color,  the  result  depending  on 
whether  the  adjoining  color  is  dark  or  light.  Light  colors  seem 
more  striking  on  dark  backgrounds,  and  dark  colors  appear  to 
better  advantage  on  light  or  white  cards.  If  a  dark  colored  letter 
is  painted  on  a  dark  card,  a  white  or  light  colored  outline  should 
be  drawn  around  it  to  make  it  stand  out.  Fig.  124.  For  the 
same  reason,  light  colored  letters  painted  on  light  colored  cards 


m 


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SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


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should  be  outlined  with  dark  colors.     Without  these  outlines 
around  the  letters,  the  coloring  would  be  weak. 

If  a  bright  colored  letter  is  drawn  on  a  card  similar  in  color 
but  duller  in  tone,  Fig.  125,  the  dull  background  will  appear 
somewhat  more  deadened  in  tone.  Bright  colors  appear  to  best 
advantage  when  the  card  upon  which  they  are  placed  is  of  a 
complementary  color. 

59.  Analogous  Colors. — Colors  that  are  found  next  to  one 
another  on  the  color  wlieel  and  that  are  to  a  certain  degree 
similar  to  each  other  are  called  neighboring  or  analogous  colors, 
for  example,  yellow  and  green.  Both  contain  yellow  in  their 
compasition  and  are  placed  in  neighboring  positions  on  the  color 
wheel.  Orange  and  green  also  contain  yellow,  but  they  are  not 
classed  as  analogous  colors  as  they  do  not  occupy  positions  near 
to  one  another  on  the  color  wheel.  Furthermore,  orange  con- 
tains red,  the  complementary  of  green,  which  has  the  effect  of 
emphasizing  the  difference  between  orange  and  green. 

60.  Warm  and  Cold  Colors. — A  color  which  approaches  red 
in  tone  is  known  as  a  warm  color.  A  color  which  approaches 
blue  in  tone  is  known  as  a  cold  color.  Such  colors  produce  im- 
pressions of  stimulating  warmth  or  of  cool  repose  according  to 
their  composition.  Red,  orange,  and  yellow  are  warm  colors, 
while  blue,  violet,  and  green  are  cool  colors.  In  case  colors  are 
grayed  and  subdued,  those  in  which  yellow  or  red  predominate 
are  classed  as  warm  grays,  while  those  which  lean  towards  blue 
or  violet  are  classed  as  cold  grays. 

61.  Value. — ^Value  is  a  term  which  refers  to  the  amount  of 
light  or  darkness  given  to  a  color.  When  values  are  spoken  of, 
reference  is  made  to  the  various  tones  running  from  light  to  dark, 
Fig.  126. 

Tints  and  Sliades. — When  the  value  is  lighter  than  the  normal 
tone  of  color,  that  is,  when  it  approaches  white,  it  is  spoken  of 
as  a  tint.  Fig.  126.  Tints  are  made  by  adding  white  to  a  color, 
or  by  thinning  it.  Adding  white  to  a  color  renders  the  color 
somewhat  opaque,  while  thinning  it  with  water  preserves  what- 
ever transparent  quality  the  color  may  have.  A  shade  is  a  value 
darker  than  the  normal  tone  of  the  color.  Fig.  126,  and  is  made 
by  adding  black  or  a  dark  color  to  its  tone. 

62.  Color  Schemes. — When  two  or  more  colors  are  used  in  a 
piece  of  work,  these  colors  compose  what  is  called  a  color  scheme. 


COLOR 


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If  a  word  is  lettered  in  yellow  on  a  green  card,  the  color  scheme 
will  be  yellow  and  green. 

Careful  selection  of  color  schemes  for  show  cards  is  a  more 
or  less  recent  practice.  Formerly,  good  color  combinations  were 
more  or  less  accidental  or  dependent  upon  the  instincts  of  a 
card  writer  who  had  natural  ability  in  selecting  colors.  The 
attractiveness  of  such  cards  was  considered  vague  and  unex- 
plainable.  It  is  now  realized  that  such  results,  whether  accidental 
or  studied,  were  dependent  on  the  application  of  certain  laws 
regarding  the  relation  one  color  has  to  another  on  a  show  card. 

There  are  four  kinds  of  harmonies  from  which  color  schemes 
may  be  devised:  Monochrome,  complementary,  analogous,   and 

perfected. 

Monochrome  Color  Schemes.— A  color  scheme  made  from  one 
color  produces  what  is  known  as  monochrome  or  dominant  har- 
mony. There  are  two  ways  of  making  a  color  scheme  with  but 
one  color.  One  way  is  to  use  different  values  of  the  same  color, 
Fig.  127,  making  some  of  the  tones  lighter  or  darker  than  the 
others.  Light  and  dark  tan  colors  form  a  monochrome  color 
scheme  that  is  quite  often  used.  The  other  way  is  to  use  dif- 
ferent intensities  of  a  color,  one  tone  being  more  grayed  than  the 
other,  Fig.  128.  Monochrome  color  schemes  are  well  adapted  for 
beginners  as  there  is  little  likelihood  for  discord  to  creep  in. 
They  are  always  simple  and  restful,  although  they  are  less  inter- 
esting than  the  more  complicated  types  of  color  schemes  since 
they  contain  less  variety. 

Complementary  Color  Schemes. — Complementary  color  schemes 
are  those  made  with  complementary  colors.  When  complemen- 
tary colors  are  used  in  their  full  strength,  the  effect  is  harsh  since 
each  color  emphasizes  the  other,  Fig.  129.  Tinting,  shading,  or 
better  still,  graying  the  colors  improves  the  effect.  Fig.  130. 
Complementary  color  schemes  are  less  harmonious  than  other 
forms  because  the  colors  have  nothing  in  common.  Colors  match 
best  when  they  have  something  in  common  or  something  upon 
which  to  base  a  connection  of  one  to  the  other.  Having  some- 
thing in  common  produces  harmony,  and  colors  which  are  not 
harmonious  should  be  avoided. 

Analogous  Color  Schemes. — Colors  which  are  found  next  to 
one  another  or  between  two  primary  colors  on  the  color  wheel 
may  be  used  to  form  what  is  called  analogous  color  schemes. 


'1 1 


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In  Fig.  131  a  yellow  and  yellow-orange  form  an  analogous  color 
scheme.  They  are  harmonious  because  they  are  near  one  an- 
other on  the  color  wheel,  and  both  having  yellow  in  their  com- 
position, they  have  something  in  common  upon  which  to  base  the 
resulting  harmony.  Like  complementary  colors,  analogous  colors 
produce  more  pleasing  results  when  they  are  grayed.  Fig.  132. 

Perfected  Color  Schemes. — ^If  two  analogous  colors  are  placed 
with  two  other  analogous  colors,  each  pair  complementary  to  the 
other,  four  different  colors  result  which  taken  as  a  whole  not 
only  produce  harmony  but  variety  as  well,  Fig.  133.  If  a  pair 
of  neighboring  or  analogous  colors  and  the  complementary  color 
opposite  this  pair  on  the  other  side  of  the  color  wheel  are  chosen, 
the  result  w411  be  a  scheme  of  three  colors  instead  of  four.  Both 
of  these  types  produce  interesting  effects.  They  are  known  as 
perfected  harmonies  since  the  colors  which  make  up  the 
harmony  have  something  in  common  and  yet  contain  greater 
variety  than  is  found  in  monochrome,  complementary,  or 
analogous  color  schemes.  If  the  composition  of  these  colors  is 
analyzed,  one  will  find  that  a  perfected  harmony  contains  all 
three  primary  colors,  since  the  color  scheme  is  completed  by  in- 
troducing complementary  colors.  It  will  also  be  found  that  if 
the  colors  are  mixed  together  they  will  produce  gray,  which  ac- 
counts for  the  restful  effects  of  such  a  scheme.  The  use  of  sev- 
eral different  colors  is  responsible  for  the  pleasing  variety  in 
the  tones. 

A  perfected  color  scheme  is  naturally  more  complioated  and 
more  difficult  to  handle  than  any  other  kind  of  color  scheme. 
It  should  not  be  used  until  one  has  become  accustomed  to  mak- 
ing such  combinations,  as  much  depends  on  well  developed  taste 
and  color  judgment. 

Perfected  color  harmony,  Fig.  133,  may  be  compared  to  a 
quartette  of  voices.  The  two  pairs  of  complementary  colors  may 
be  likened  to  the  male  and  female  voices.  One  pair  of  analogous 
colors  may  be  compared  to  the  alto  and  soprano  voices  and  the 
other  pair  to  the  bass  and  tenor.  The  comparison  may  be  car- 
ried still  further  by  noting  that  while  no  voice  in  the  quartette 
nor  any  color  in  the  color  scheme  is  like  any  of  the  others,  all 
bear  a  relation  to  each  other.  It  is  also  true  that  in  a  quartette 
of  voices  all  are  not  given  the  same  prominence ;  nor  should  this 
be  true  of  the  colors  in  a  color  scheme.    In  the  quartette,  the 


COLOR 


127 


I 


soprano  voice  may  carry  the  melody  and  the  others  accompany 
and  support  it,  thus  producing  a  more  unified  effect.  For  the 
same  reason,  one  color  in  the  perfected  harmony  should  pre- 
dominate, and  the  others  should  be  subordinated  to  it  and  given 
less  prominence,  one  color  leading  and  the  others  following. 
This  variety  is  secured  by  using  colors  in  tints  or  shades  or  l)y 
graying  them  until  they  become  less  intense.  The  area  covered 
by  the  color  may  be  varied  also.  A  bright  color  should  be  used 
over  only  a  small  area,  while  a  dull  color  may  be  used  over  a 
comparatively  large  area  without  becoming  too  dominant. 

63.  Color  Balance. — The  balancing  of  colors  may  be  studied 
in  the  same  manner  as  the  balancing  of  masses  of  lettering.  In 
addition  to  considering  the  size,  shape,  and  tone,  a  new  factor  is 
introduced,  the  power  of  attraction,  which  may  also  be  com- 
pared to  a  weight.  Pure  colors  are  more  powerful  than  colors 
neutralized  or  grayed,  Fig.  134,  and  for  this  reason  smaller 
amounts  should  be  used.  A  tint  is  not  so  heavy  as  a  color  of 
full  strength,  and  may  be  given  more  space  without  injuring  the 
color  balance.  Dark  colors  seem  heavier  than  light  colors  and 
should  be  cut  down  in  area  until  the  proper  effect  is  secured. 
Contrasting  colors  attract  more  attention  than  similar  colors; 
therefore,  in  a  color  scheme  containing  several  colors,  the  con- 
trasting colors  should  not  be  used  in  too  large  an  amount  or  they 
will  over-balance  the  other  colors.  Balance  does  not  mean 
that  the  colors  should  be  of  equal  attraction.  Such  an  arrange- 
ment would  be  lifeless  and  like  a  seesaw  with  equal  weights  on 
each  end  of  the  board,  or  it  might  be  compared  to  a  quartette  in 
which  no  one  voice  has  a  leading  part.  The  colors  should  be 
manipulated  so  that  variety  is  secured  and  balance  produced  by 
contrasting,  tinting,  graying,  or  darkening  them.  Proper  con- 
trol of  balance  produces  interesting  and  desirable  effects. 

Accent  of  color  may  be  inserted  in  a  design  by  using  a  colored 
initial,  by  coloring  a  word  differently  from  the  rest  of  the  letter- 
ing, or  by  using  colored  ornamentation.  If  accents  of  color  are 
too  prominent,  however,  the  card  will  appear  spotty  and  its  ap- 
pearance will  be  cheapened.  In  actual  practice  initials  are  too 
often  made  in  colors  which  are  complementary  to  the  colors  in 
the  rest  of  the  lettering.  If  analogous  colors  are  used,  giving  the 
initial  a  darker  tone,  for  instance,  the  effect  is  more  artistic  and 
less  likely  to  be  overdone. 


128 


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Warm  colors  may  be  balanced  against  cold  colors,  and  colors 
that  seem  to  recede  may  be  balanced  by  colors  more  advancing 
in  character.  Complementary  colors  may  be  balanced  against 
each  other,  but  the  effects  are  likely  to  be  harsh  and  crude 
unless  the  colors  are  grayed.  When  colors  are  being  balanced, 
consideration  must  be  given  to  the  size,  shape,  and  tone  used  just 
as  when  one  is  dealing  with  black  letters  only.  Fig.  134  shows  a 
number  of  examples  illustrating  the  balancing  of  colors. 

64.  Color  Triads. — A  triad  is  a  color  harmony  composed  of 
three  different  colors,  and  may  be  compared  to  the  three  tones 
in  a  chord  of  music,  the  colors  being  unlike  enough  to  give  the 
selection  completeness  and  variety.  Analysis  will  show  that 
the  colors  in  a  triad  may  be  selected  in  a  manner  similar  to  the 
tones  in  a  chord  on  a  musical  instrument.  If  any  color  is  selected 
on  the  color  wheel,  Fig.  118,  as  the  first  member  of  the  triad,  the 
second  member  may  be  determined  by  reading  along  the  color 
wheel,  in  the  direction  in  which  the  hands  of  a  clock  move,  until 
the  fifth  color,  or  the  required  second  member,  is  reached.  The 
eighth  color  on  the  wheel  is  the  third  member  and  completes  the 
triad.  These  three  colors  form  what  may  be  called  a  color  chord 
or  triad,  and  any  similar  three-color  harmony  may  be  measured 
off  on  the  color  wheel.  In  music,  however,  the  first,  third,  and 
fifth  tones  are  taken  to  form  the  chord  or  triad  since  an  octave 
in  music  consists  of  eight  tones  while  the  color  wheel  contains 
twelve  colors. 

A  color  triad  is  in  reality  a  form  of  perfected  harmony  as 
it  has  in  it  both  completeness  and  harmony  and  is  subject  to  the 
same  rules  as  apply  in  a  perfected  harmony.  While  some  satis- 
factory color  schemes  may  be  produced  with  all  the  colors  in  their 
normal  strength,  more  satisfactory  results  are  obtained  when  one 
color  dominates  and  the  others  follow.  In  a  musical  chord  the 
tones  do  not  all  seem  to  be  of  equal  strength  even  though  all 
three  are  sounded  together.  This  is  usually  true  of  a  color  triad, 
the  first  member  being  grayed  until  it  approaches  quite  closely 
to  neutral  gray,  the  second  member  grayed  about  half  as  much, 
and  the  last  color  used  in  its  full  strength.  Pure  colors  would 
not  produce  so  pleasing  a  result.  The  color  triad  illustrates  the 
principle  that  the  most  interesting  color  schemes  are  those  whose 
colors  are  not  too  close  together  on  the  color  wheel.    Color  schemes 


COLOR 


l-2!» 


containing  three  or  four  colors  are  the  most  difficult  to  handle 

successfully. 

65.  Color  Fatigue.— Any  color  will  tire  the  eye  in  time,  but 
some  colors  produce  fatigue  sooner  than  others.  Pure  red,  yel- 
low, or  orange  will  irritate  the  eye  more  quickly  than  cool  colors, 
such  as  violet,  blue,  or  green. 

If  a  patch  of  red  is  placed  on  a  white  card  and  stared  at 
for  a  short  time,  a  greenish  tinge  will  become  more  and  more 
noticeable  on  the  card  near  the  edges  of  the  patch,  Fig.  135  a 
and  b.  This  is  due  to  the  amount  of  color  rays  reflected  and  the 
amount  absorbed  in  the  two  colors,  white  and  red.  White  light 
falling  on  a  white  card  is  almost  entirely  reflected  back  to  the 
eye.  As  white  contains  all  the  colors  of  the  spectrum,  all  the 
colors  are  reflected  back  to  the  eye.  On  the  red  patch,  the  yellow 
and  blue  rays  are  absorbed,  and  only  the  red  rays  are  reflected 
back  to  the  eye.  Therefore,  constantly  staring  at  the  red  tires 
the  eye  and  weakens  the  effect  of  the  red.  The  yellow  and  blue 
rays  retain  their  strength,  causing  the  white  color  of  the  card, 
especially  near  the  patch,  to  lase  some  of  its  white  quality  by  the 
weakening  of  the  red  sensation,  leaving  the  yellow  and  blue 
comparatively  strong.  Yellow  and  blue  combined  produce  green ; 
hence,  the  tinge  about  the  red  patch  is  of  a  greenish  cast.  If 
the  red  patch  is  left  on  the  white  card  for  a  long  time  and  then 
removed,  a  faint  image  of  the  patch  will  still  remain,  but  it  will 
be  green  in  color.  The  eye  becomes  so  fatigued  from  registering 
red  that  it  may  take  several  moments  for  it  to  register  the  red 
rays  found  in  white  light  with  the  ease  with  which  it  registers 
the  yellow  and  blue  rays.  This  experiment  may  be  tried  w^ith 
any  color,  and  the  color  induced  will  be  its  complementary,  since 
the  complementary  color  contains  what  the  other  color  lacks. 


I 


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ht    ■ 


CHAPTER  VI 
PRINCIPLES  OP  SHOW-CARD  ADVERTISING 

"The  weaknesses  of  advertising  arc  due 
largely  to  the  neglect  of  the  primary 
principles  of  the  art." 

S.  Roland  Hall. 

66.  Importance  of  Study. — The  principles  of  show-card  ad- 
vertising should  be  studied  carefully,  for  many  reasons,  instead 
of  being  given  slight  consideration.  The  advancement  of  pres- 
ent day  show-card  standards  over  those  of  a  few  years  ago  re- 
quires a  better  acquaintance  with  advertising  principles.  The 
work  of  many  clever  card  writers  and  the  printed  display  ma- 
terial sent  out  by  manufacturers  offer  considerable  competition. 
The  influence  of  the  high-grade  cards  displayed  in  city  depart- 
ment stores  has  spread  to  the  smaller  cities  thus  raising  the 
general  standard.  It  follows,  then,  that  a  competent  show-card 
writer  must  not  only  have  ability  in  lettering  but  he  must  have  a 
certain  familiarity  with  the  fundamental  principles  of  retail 
selling  and  publicity.  Well-planned  cards  increase  sales. 
Poorly-planned  cards  are  a  waste  of  time  and  money.  It  is 
imperative,  therefore,  that  the  modern  card  writer  make  a 
critical  study  of  his  handiwork  and  that  of  his  rivals,  break  away 
from  the  mere  announcement  type,  and  produce  cards  which  will 
add  to  his  reputation  and  at  the  same  time  increase  his  em- 
ployer's sales. 

67.  Planning  the  Advertising. — ^Advertising  should  not  be  a 
haphazard  undertaking  but  should  follow  certain  definite  steps. 
The  first  step  should  be  the  looking  over  of  the  stock  and  the 
selecting  of  several  articles  for  advertising  with  certain  definite 
reasons  in  mind  for  choosing  those  particular  articles.  Next, 
the  best  selling  points  for  one  of  the  chosen  articles  should  be 
determined  and  a  proposed  wording  of  the  card  written  out. 
Then  on  the  card  itself,  or  on  scratch  paper,  the  layout  of  this 
wording  should  be  roughly  sketched.  If  the  first  layout  is  not 
satisfactory,  it  may  be  rearranged  until  it  has  been  made  into 
what  seems  to  be  the  best  possible  form,  when  the  card  will  be 

131 


ll  li' 


132 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


PRINCIPLED  OF  miOW-CARD  AUVERTWING 


KJ3 


1 


ready  for  inking  in.  This  systematic  procedure  for  each  of  the 
articles  to  be  advertised  will  produce  the  best  layouts,  the  quality 
of  the  layout  depending  upon  the  time  and  pains  taken  in  plan- 
ning the  card. 

There  is  a  variety  of  talking  points  with  which  the  wording 
may  concern  itself.     New  interest  may  be  aroused   in   staple 


Fig.  136. — ^An  example  of  window  advertising  wliich  duplicates 

billboard  publicity. 

articles  or  the  card  may  act  as  a  follow-up  of  the  advertising 
found  in  widely  read  periodicals,  billboards,  or  street  cars.  The 
practice  of  tying  up  the  advertising  on  all  publicity,  whether  it 
be  in  the  window,  in  the  newspaper,  or  on  the  billboard,  is  con- 
sidered by  many  good  practice  in  advertising.  Illustrations  of 
window  advertising  of  this  nature  are  shown  in  Fig.  136.  This 
advertisement  is  a  duplication  of  the  advertising  used  by  this 


■ 


Neckwear 

Underwear 
Hals  6  Caps 
Bk>u5es.Shlr1s 

Stock.i 
5weaiei-5 


1 


Fig.   137.— a  clothing  store  card,   calling  attention   to   a  new   convenience  for 
customers  (barber  shop)  in  the  boys'  furnishing  department. 


134 


Ij 


w 


"^fi! 


m 


HHOW-CAIW   WRITING 


firm  on  its  billboards,  thus  attracting  more  attention  both  to  the 
billboards  and  to  the  window  advertising.  The  example  shown 
in  this  figure  is  patterned  after  this  firm's  outdoor  advertising. 
The  illustration  shows  a  ''history  book"  which  was  used  in  cer- 
tain parts  of  the  country.  At  the  right  of  the  sign  is  an  ink 
bottle  with  a  service  sign  lettered  on  it  in  orange  and  white  and 
supplemented  by  a  black  and  white  invitation  to  look  for  this 
sign.  The  nature  of  the  design  is  such  as  to  make  it  easily  re- 
membered and  instantly  recognizable. 

An  unusual  method  for  tying  up  the  show  card  with  the  other 
advertising  is  to  use  hand  lettered  advertisements  in  the  paper 
and  letter  the  display  cards  so  that  they  practically  duplicate 
the  newspaper  advertising.  The  hand  lettered  advertisements  by 
Edward  Hermann,  reproduced  in  this  chapter,  were  used  in  both 
window  and  newspaper  advertising.  Anyone  reading  the  adver- 
tisement in  the  evening  paper  would  see  practically  the  same 
thing  in  the  store  window,  doubly  strengthening  the  impression 
first  received.  The  firm  using  these  cards  makes  it  a  policy  to 
make  note,  in  its  advertising,  of  anniversaries,  conventions,  and 
other  matters  of  interest,  also  using  the  phrase  ** Strauss  says" 
over  all  the  headlines. 

New  conveniences  for  the  benefit  of  customers  may  be  an- 
nounced as  in  Fig.  137  which  not  only  advertises  the  boys'  cloth- 
ing department  but  in  the  lower  left-hand  corner  calls  attention 
to  the  barber  shop  for  boys. 

The  number  of  talking  points  which  are  practicable  in  the 
wording  of  show  cards  may  be  further  extended  to  include  an- 
nouncements of  new  goods  received,  services  and  conveniences 
which  have  always  been  a  feature  of  the  store,  remodelling  of 
certain  departments,  and  changes  in  bookkeeping  and  charge 
account  methods.  Announcement  may  be  made  of  new  goods 
received,  or  attention  may  be  called  to  the  brands  of  merchan- 
dise for  which  the  store  has  the  exclusive  agency.  Anniversaries, 
celebrations,  or  seasons  of  special  significance  such  as  camping, 
gardening,  house  cleaning  may  also  be  considered  in  planning 
cards.  Attention  may  be  called  in  an  impressive  and  distinctive 
manner  to  the  changes  in  the  seasons  of  the  year  and  their  effect 
upon  the  customer's  purchases.  An  example  of  a  seasonal  dis- 
play is  shown  in  Fig.  138,  the  wording  of  the  card  in  the  display 
'^Formal  Showing  of  Hats  and  Apparel  for  Southern  Wear*' 


PRINCIPLES  OF  SHOW-CARD  ADVERTISING 


135 


serving  to  call  the  attention  of  the  wealthier  customers  to  their 
needs  when  they  go  south  for  the  winter.  The  card  is  simple 
and  direct,  but  it  is  too  small  to  show  well  in  the  picture.  It 
is  decorated  by  just  a  suggestion  of  palms,  clouds,  and  the  blue 
sea.  The  display  is  simple  and  suggestive  also,  the  flowers,  the 
peacock,  the  golf  clubs,  and  other  details  reminding  one  of  a 
winter  in  the  south.  When  to  all  of  these  talking  points  has 
been  added  the  announcement  of  special  sales  or  price  reductions, 
the  list  of  subject  matter  for  cards  is  complete  enough  to  furnish 


Fig.  138.--A  window  display  appealing  to  the  interests  of  customers  who 

winter  in  the  South. 

an  abundance  of  material  for  any  retailer  who  makes  use  of 
show-card  publicity. 

68.  Wording  the  Card.— The  card  should  contain  actual  in- 
formation about  the  goods  offered  and  should  not  be  worded  with 
some  generality  like,  **A  complete  line  of  serviceable  footwear." 
A  short,  crisp  description  of  the  style  and  material  of  the  shoes 
is  infinitely  better.  Retail  advertising  is  often  spoken  of  as 
''store  news''  and  if  the  cards  contain  information  which  ap- 
peals to  and  interests  the  customer,  there  will  be  a  greater 
probability  of  their  being  read. 

It  is  well  sometimes  to  suit  the  wording  to  certain  particular 
classes  of  customers.  Appeals  to  certain  classes  of  people  should 
be  conservative  and  refined,  while  to  others  they  may  be  so  simple 


INTENTIONAL  SECOND  EXPOSURE 


l:H 


»n7/0M  r  l/,7i    \\  lililMl 


rRi\('iPLi:^s  OF  SHOW-CARD  ADM-irriHixa 


i:jr. 


linii  uii  its  billboards,  thus  attracting'  iiiuiv  attention  both  to  the 
liillboanls  and  to  the  window  advertising.  The  example  shown 
in  this  ligure  is  patterned  after  this  tirra's  outdoor  advertising. 
The  illustration  shows  a  ■"history  book*'  which  was  used  in  cer- 
tain parts  of  the  country.  At  tlie  right  of  the  sign  is  an  ink 
l»ottle  with  a  service  sign  lettered  on  it  in  orange  and  white  and 
supplemented  by  a  lilack  and  white  invitation  to  look  for  this 
sign.  The  nature  of  the  design  is  such  as  to  make  it  easily  re- 
membered and  instantly  recognizable. 

An  unu.su.il  method  for  tying  up  the  show^  card  with  the  other 
advertising  is  to  use  hand  IcttenMl  advertisements  in  the  paper 
and  ]»'ttc!'  the  display  cards  so  tluit  they  practically  duplicate 
the  ncwspapci-  advertising.  Tlie  hand  lettered  advertisements  by 
Kdward  HcrTiinnn,  reproduced  in  this  chapter,  were  used  in  both 
window  and  newspaper  a<lvertisinir.  Anvone  readinu:  the  adver- 
tisement  in  the  evening  paper  would  see  practically  the  same 
thing  in  the  store  window,  doubly  strengthening  the  impression 
first  T'cccivcd.  The  Hrm  using  these  cai-ds  makes  it  a  policy  to 
make  note,  in  its  advertising,  of  anniversaries,  conventions,  and 
other  matters  of  intei'est,  also  using  the  jdirase  "Strauss  says" 
over  all  the  hendiines. 

Xew   ronveniences    for   the  benefit    of  customers   mav   be   an- 

« 

nounced  as  in  Fig.  1:^7  which  not  only  advertises  the  boys'  cloth- 
ing department  but  in  the  lower  left-hand  corner  calls  attention 
tit  the  barber  shop  foi'  boys. 

The  Fuuiil)er  of  talking  points  which  are  practicable  in  the 
wording  of  show  cards  may  be  further  extended  to  include  an- 
nouncements of  new  goods  received,  services  and  conveniences 
whii-h  have  always  been  a  fentnre  of  the  store,  remodelling  of 
«*ertain  departments,  and  changes  in  bookkeeping  and  chaige 
account  methods.  Announcement  may  be  made  of  new  goods 
received,  or  attention  nuiy  be  <-alled  to  the  brands  of  merchan- 
dise l'(»r  which  the  store  has  the  exclusive  agency.  Ainiiversarics, 
celebrations,  or  seasons  of  special  significance  such  as  camping, 
irjirdening.  house  cleafdng  may  also  be  considered  in  planning 
cards.  Attention  may  be  called  in  an  impressive  and  distinctive 
manner  to  the  changes  in  the  seasons  of  the  year  and  their  effect 
U[)on  the  customer's  purchases.  An  example  of  a  seasonal  dis- 
play is  shown  in  Fig.  i:W,  the  woi-ding  of  the  card  in  the  display 
Formal   Sh(»wing  of  Hats  and   Apparel   for  Southern  Wear'* 


serving  to  call  the  attention  of  the  wealthier  customers  to  their 
needs  when  they  go  south  for  the  winter.  The  card  is  simph^ 
and  direct,  but  it  is  too  small  to  show  well  in  the  picture.  It 
is  decorated  by  just  a  suggestion  of  palms,  clouds,  and  the  Itlue 
sea.  The  display  is  simple  and  suggestive  also,  the  flowers,  the 
peacock,  the  golf  clubs,  and  other  details  reminding  one  of  a 
winter  in  the  south.  AVhen  to  all  of  these  talking  ])oints  has 
been  added  the  ijiuiouncement  of  special  sales  or  price  leductions, 
the  list  of  subject  matter  for  cards  is  complete  enough  to  furnish 


*  4  XT', 


Fig.  138.--A  window  display  appoalins;  to  the  interests  of  customers  who 

winter  in  the  South. 

an  abundance  of  nuiterial   for  any   i-etailer  who  makes  use  of 
show-card  publicity. 

68.  Wording  the  Card.— The  card  should  contain  actual  in- 
formation abont  the  goods  offered  and  should  not  be  worded  with 
some  generality  like,  *' A  complete  line  of  serviceable  footwear.'* 
A  short,  crisp  description  of  the  style  and  material  of  the  shoes 
is  infinitely  better.  Retail  advertising  is  often  spoken  of  as 
'*store  news''  and  if  the  cards  contain  information  which  ap- 
peals to  and  interests  the  cnstomer,  there  will  be  a  greater 
probability  of  their  being  read. 

It  is  well  sometimes  to  suit  the  wording  to  certain  particular 
classes  of  customers.  Appeals  to  certain  classes  of  people  should 
be  conser^rative  and  refined,  while  to  others  they  may  be  so  simple 


136 


8B0W-CARD  WRITINa 


^,; 


as  to  be  almost  crude.  For  the  economical  type  of  customer, 
emphasis  upon  price  and  durability  will  prove  the  most  inter- 
cstinor.  When  planning  what  to  say  the  card  writer  should  bo 
guided  by  the  tastes  of  the  community  and  not  by  his  own,  for 
he  is  not  selling  to  himself  but  to  the  community. 

There  are  certain  requirements  to  which  the  wording  should 
conform.  It  should  be  brief,  not  going  to  such  length  as  a 
magazine  might  go  in  indicating  the  merits  of  certain  merchan- 
dise. At  the  same  time  it  should  be  complete,  finishing  what- 
ever it  starts  out  to  proclaim.  It  should  also  be  clear,  as  what 
is  familiar  to  the  retailer  is  often  difficult  for  the  customer  to 


r 


Qnel£)usan6 
cSuggcstions 

r^^"^^        FOR. 


Fig.   139. — A  card  whose  wording  Is  in  the 
form  of  a  hint  or  suggestion. 

understand.  It  should  be  suggestive  rather  than  argumentative, 
as  in  the  wedding  gift  card,  Fig.  139.  In  this  case,  the  style  of 
lettering  is  also  in  keeping  with  the  idea  of  gifts  for  such  an 
occasion.  Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  the  wording  should 
preferably  be  suggestive,  show  cards  are  often  in  the  form  of 
commands.  The  inscription  ''One  thousand  suggestions  for  wed- 
ding presents"  is  suggestive,  while  ''Do  your  Christmas  shop- 
ping early"  and  "Give  him  a  man's  gift  from  a  man's  store" 
are  in  the  form  of  commands.  Both  forms  are  acceptable  and 
effective  though  for  various  reasons  one  style  at  times  may  be 
more  desirable  than  the  other. 

Something  descriptive  and  suggestive  should  be  said  about  the 
article  which  the  card  is  to  advertise.  Such  vague  statements 
as  "Best  in  town"  are  of  no  real  selling  value  as  no  one  pays 
much  attention  to  them.  The  wording  should  be  short  and  to 
the  point,  avoiding  all  unnecessary  words.  Such  phrases  as 
"Read  this"  or  "Your  chance"  are  in  most  cases  as  superfluous 
as  beginning  an  ordinary  conversation  with  "Dear  Sir."     The 


a 


PRINCIPLES  OF  SHOW-CARD  ADVERTISING 


137 


words  should  run  along  smoothly,  avoiding  phrases  which  are 
so  short  as  to  sound  jerky.  Positive  rather  than  negative  appeals 
should  be  used.  It  is  better  to  say  "Do"  than  "Do  not."  In 
Fig.  140  "Give  him  a  man's  gift  from  a  man's  store"  was  used 
rather  than  "Don't  buy  a  man's  gift  from  a  woman's  store." 


Fig.  140. — A  card  whose  wording  is  in  the  form  of  a  direct  command. 

Benefits  should  be  suggested  rather  than  disagreeable  experiences. 
An  excellent  method  of  interesting  the  customer  is  to  suggest 
something  from  his  own  experience  and  connect  that  in  some  way 
with  the  goods  offered.  Many  a  flashlight  has  been  sold  by  dis- 
play cards  reading,  "Where  was  your  flashlight  when  the  lights 


mMsmJ& 


Os/ef  QjyLojTS  c>fServfC& 

33-37  \J^<xsh}r\Mor^  Stree-ir 


Fig.  141. ^A  name  plate  aiming  to  create  confidence  and  faith  in  the  store. 

went  out  last  night?"  Humorous  or  freakish  cards  are  out-of- 
date.  Cards  are  read  for  the  information  which  they  give,  and 
jokes  and  cartoons  seldom  do  much  to  serve  this  purpose.  They 
attract  attention  more  often  to  themselves  than  to  the  articles 
on  sale.  When  the  text  of  the  card  is  being  lettered,  the  spelling 
and  grammar  should  be  watched  carefully.     Spelling  is  often 


¥* 


138 


SHOW-CARD  WKl'tlNQ 


ii  i 


Fig.  142. — A  card  aiming  to  give  evidence  of  full  value  and  calling  attention 

also  to  the  limited  number  of  suits  on  sale. 


PRJNCIPLEf^  OF  fiflOW-CARD  ADVERTISING 


13d 


overlooked  when  the  writer  \s  mind  is  fixed  on  the  lettering  itself. 

69.  Aim  of  the  Wording. — The  wording  should  carry  con- 
viction, promoting  faith  in  both  the  store  and  the  goods  it  has 
for  sale.  Faith  in  a  store  was  promoted  in  the  inscription  shown 
in  Fig.  141  by  calling  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  store  had  been 
in  business  for  67  years.  The  prestige  gained  from  such  a 
long  time  in  business  was  well  worth  mentioning  in  the  publicity 
of  the  store.  Straightforward  language,  conservative  and  un- 
exaggerated  claims,  and  evidence  of  giving  full  value  are  the 
things  which  breed  confidence  in  retail  advertising.  Certain 
classes  of  customers  might  doubt  the  quality  of  the  $29.00  suits 
offered  in  the  advertisement,  Fig.  142,  had  the  reassuring  state- 
ment, "Each  Tailored  up  to  Strauss  Standard,^'  been  omitted. 

The  wording  should  also  be  persuasive.  A  purchase  is  en- 
couraged when  the  inscription  draws  up  a  pleasant  picture  in  the 
customer's  imagination  as  in  the  words,  ''Cool,  Comfortable,  and 
Good  Looking,"  Fig.  142.  The  wording  may  be  made  persuasive 
also  by  indicating  the  ease  with  which  a  purchase  may  be  paid 
for  or  delivered,  or  special  services  rendered  by  the  store  to  its 
customers  such  as  free  telephone  use,  waiting  rooms,  free  check 
rooms,  nurseries,  and  other  conveniences  which  shoppers  would 
be  likely  to  appreciate.  It  is  possible,  too,  that  a  customer  might 
be  persuaded  to  buy  some  article  by  suggesting  the  reasons  why 
he  might  regret  it  if  he  did  not.  The  illustration  and  the  word- 
ing of  Fig.  143  suggest  to  the  youth  of  high  school  age  that 
*'good  clothes  will  turn  the  trick.'*  A  time  limit  to  a  sale,  or  a 
limited  amount  of  material  in  stock  also  emphasize  the  need  for 
immediate  purchase,  or  the  suggestion,  "They  shouldn't  last  long 
at  this  price,''  Fig.  142.  Some  cards  close  with  a  command,  or 
clincher,  as  it  is  called.  "While  a  clincher  has  some  merit  a 
well-planned  card  needs  no  such  device  since  the  wording  will 
be  as  effective  without  it. 

70.  Gaining  Attention  of  Reader. — Attention  may  be  gained 
by  two  means:  by  the  wording  itself  and  by  its  mechanical  ar- 
rangement on  the  card.  While  the  card  writer  must  give  the 
necessary  time  and  thought  as  to  how  he  is  going  to  secure  the 
attention  of  passersby,  the  methods  employed  must  not  be  too 
apparent,  but  should  make  their  appeal  without  the  reader's 
being  conscioiLS  of  any  device  or  method  being  used. 

As  far  as  the  wording  of  any  show  card  is  concerned  no  two 


1 1 


140 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


people  respond  exactly  alike  to  any  appeal  devised  to  get  their 
attention,  but  still  there  is  enough  similarity  to  consider  the 
reactions  of  groups  of  people.    People  living  in  rural  eoramuni- 


\l 


[I 


Blu^.Gray  f 0 
axtct  Brov/rb 

riaruLel  Suits  ^ 

c 


Fig.   143. — An  illustrated   card  with  a 
"human  interest"  appeal. 


ties  respond  more  quickly  to  attempts  at  securing  their  attention 
and  take  the  time  to  read  longer  inscriptions  than  do  city  people. 
There  is  also  a  great  difference  in  the  response  of  the  sexes. 
Women  are  more  interested  in  shopping  than  men,  and,  as  they 
do  nine-tenths  of  it,  they  make  purchases  more  leisurely.    Women 


PRINCirLES  OF  miOW-VARD  ADVERTltilNG 


141 


often  enter  a  store  for  the  sole  purpose  of  looking  about  to  see 
what  is  offered,  without  having  any  specific  purchase  in  mind  at 
the  time.  Men,  on  the  other  hand,  usually  dislike  to  shop.  They 
buy  articles  in  more  or. less  of  a  hurry  and  take  small  notice  of 
anything  advertised  on  show  cards.  In  the  case  of  some  hobby, 
liowever,  they  often  run  to  the  other  extreme.  A  man  who  is 
interested  in  fishing  will  canvass  every  sporting  goods  store  in 
town  to  buy  a  particular  type  of  fish-hook,  while  he  may  resent 
spending  more  than  ten  minutes  in  selecting  a  hat. 

In  Chap.  IV  the  principles  of  placing  and  arranging  were 
discussed  from  an  artistic  viewpoint.  These  principles  have  a 
commercial  value  as  well  which  card  writers  should  recognize, 
as  they  are  one  of  the  means  by  which  the  reader's  attention 
may  be  gained. 

S.  W.  Holliday  of  the  Poster  Advertising  Company  gives 
the  following  as  the  six  essentials  of  the  wording  and  mechanical 
arrangement  of  advertising  posters — which  applies  equally  as 
well  to  show  cards. 


'I 


i 


"A  poster  should  be  (1)  simple  and  bold  in  desio^i ;  (2)  brief  in 
text;  (3)  understood  at  sis:ht;  (4)  pleasin":  and  strons:  in  color;  (5) 
balanced  in  composition;  and  (6)  designed  to  attract  attention  in  some 
particular." 


71.  Three  Types  of  Readers. — There  are  three  types  of  read- 
ers. One  type  approaches  a  window  with  a  certain  article  in 
mind  to  see  whether  it  is  being  offered  for  sale.  The  second 
type  simply  looks  about  to  satisfy  his  curiosity  as  to  what  is 
being  offered.  The  third  type  has  no  definite  article  in  mind 
and  is  not  even  curious  but  simply  rushes  by  and  pays  no  atten- 
tion to  what  is  offered  unless  attracted  to  the  display  uncon- 
sciously, cither  by  the  wording  of  the  card  or  by  its  striking  and 
effective  arrangement.  In  planning  cards  one  should  not  over- 
look these  three  types  of  readers  but  should  remember  the  re- 
quirements which  they  impose  upon  cards  if  the  desired  attention 
is  to  be  gained. 

72.  Listing  Selling  Points. — Articles  to  be  advertised  by 
show  cards  should  be  analyzed  in  order  that  their  selling  points 
may  be  determined.  After  an  analysis  has  revealed  the  main 
selling  points,  they  may  be  written  in  a  list.     This  list  should 


142 


SIIOW-CAKD  WRITIXG 


not  be  the  result  of  ouly  one  person's  investigation  or  judgment 
but  inquiries  should  be  made  of  other  people  to  ascertain  the 
selling  points  they  prefer.    ^lanufaeturers  usually  suggest  selling 


Verc 


aiTliirly  IferCent 
Discouirt. 

Wfere  now 


TXOV/' 


Fig.   144. — A  sale  aaiKuinccinent   listin:;  the  price   reductious. 

points,  and  the  clerks  in  the  store  may  give  the  opinions  of  their 
customers  as  well  as  theii'  own.  Friends  and  relatives  may  also 
y>e  approached  and  a  practical  ILst  arranged  from  these  various 
sources  of  information. 


PJUyCIPhEH  OF  snow  r A  HI)  AnVERTIi^JNG 


143 


No  one  card  should  attempt  to  contain  all  the  selling  points  of 
an  article,  as  such  a  list  would  kill  the  interest  of  most  readers 
and  create  so  much  confusion  that  it  would  bo  difficult  to  put 
emphasis  on  the  best  points  offered.  Four  selling  points  are 
about  the  maximum  any  one  card  should  contain. 

A  long  price  list  is  almost  as  objectionable  as  a  long  list  of 
selling  points.  Both  should  be  avoided.  Fig.  144  shows  a  re- 
duction in  the  price  of  eight  different  grades  of  goods.  Had 
this  price  list  been  any  longer  it  is  doubtful  if  many  would 
have  read  the  entire  list.  A  long  list  is  permissible  if  the  purpose 
of  the  card  is  to  create  the  impression  that  a  large  sale  is  going 
on,  in  which  case  that  impression  alone  is  all  that  is  necessary. 


Germs  linger  in  the 

washbowl.    Keep  it 

ckan  and  antiseptic 

with 

IflTCHEN 

IVLeaner 


Fig.  14.1. — An  appeal  to  interest  in 
health  and  cleanliness. 

Actual  reading  of  an  entire  list  of  reductions  is  not  really 
expected  of  each  passerby,  although  people  of  extremely  eco- 
nomical inclinations  might  read  every  item  in  the  list. 

The  selling  points  should  be  arranged  with  care,  the  best  point 
being  placed  first  upon  the  card.  The  next  to  the  best  point, 
instead  of  being  placed  second,  should  be  placed  last  so  as  to 
make  the  closing  as  strong  as  possible.  The  weakest  point  should 
follow  the  first,  the  weakness  of  this  second  point  being  offset  by 
the  strength  of  the  first.  The  remaining  points,  if  more  are 
used,  may  be  arranged  in  whatever  order  seems  to  be  the  best. 

73.  Basis  of  Appeals. — There  are  a  number  of  classes  of 
appeals  by  which  the  customer's  interest  may  be  gained.  The 
card  may  be  worded  so  as  to  appeal  to  one  of  the  five  senses. 
The  mention  of  the  tone  of  a  piano  makes  an  appeal  to  the  sense 


\ 


144 


SHOW  CARD  WRITING 


PRINCIPLED  OF  DflOW-rARI)  ADVERTISING 


145 


I 


il 


of  hearing ;  the  flavor  of  an  article  of  food  to  the  sense  of  taste ; 
good-looking  clothes  to  the  sense  of  sight;  comfort  to  feeling; 
and  delightful  odors  to  smelling.  A  story  is  told  of  a  contractor 
for  a  public  building  who  sprinkled  perfume  about  the  interior 
of  the  building,  just  previous  to  its  inspection  by  the  building 
committee,  so  that  the  agreeable  odor  might  create  a  feeling  of 
satisfaction  with  the  workmanship  without  the  committee's  being 
conscious  of  the  trick. 

Instead  of  basing  an  appeal  on  one  of  the  five  senses,  the 
wording  may  be  made  to  appeal  to  the  customer's  individual  in- 
terests.   His  tastes  may  be  made  the  basis  of  getting  his  attention 


Fig.  140. — A  card  calling  attention  to  a 
new  novel. 

by  emphasizing  such  qualities  as  cleanliness,  Fig.  145.  The 
full,  open,  lower  case  letters  with  slender  strokes  suggest  clean- 
liness, while  the  heavy,  sturdy,  display  type  is  a  fitting  reminder 
of  sturdy,  substantial  scrubbing  bruslies.  The  customer's  taste 
for  reading  may  be  the  basis  of  an  appeal  to  his  attention,  as  in 
Fig.  146  which  omits  the  title  of  the  book,  thus  inducing  the 
passerby  to  notice  the  book  itself.  Appeals  may  be  based  on  the 
habits  of  certain  classes  of  people  and  their  style  of  living. 
Economy  appeals  to  people  of  frugal  habits.  A  card  advertising 
a  30  per  cent  discount,  as  in  Fig.  147,  would  catch  the  attention 
of  such  people  quite  readily.  On  the  other  hand,  to  persons  of 
spendthrift  habits,  this  sort  of  an  appeal  would  be  valueless. 

There  are  a  number  of  interests  which  are  more  or  less  common 
to  all  types  of  people.  *'A11  the  world  loves  a  lover"  and  the 
June  wedding  scene  used  in  the  window  display  in  Fig.  2  would 
appeal  to  all  passersby.  Although  only  one  card  is  displayed 
in  the  window  and  on  it  the  words  *'The  Bride,"  practically 


everyone  looking  at  such  a  window  would  instinctively  take  it 
for  granted  that  the  store  had  attractive  trousseaux  and  wedding 
gifts  for  sale. 


r(axtam.  and.  otlusr  makes 
^  chaxacter ,  uxcIudecL 


1 


Fig.  147. — An  appeal  to  economy. 

Parental  interest  is  stimulated  by  suggestions  relative  to  the 
happiness  and  welfare  of  children.  **Ask  mother,  she  knows," 
Fig.  144,  is  a  direct  appeal  to  this  interest.  Lemonade  vendors 
on  circus  day  appreciate  the  pulling  power  of  intimations  that 
children  are  unhappy  without  a  glass  of  lemonade.  The  instinct 
of  imitation  is  another  basis  for  many  sales.  Popularity,  the 
spirit  of  *' Everybody *s  doing  it  now,"  has  sold  many  an  auto- 


1 


14G 


SHOW-CARD  WRIT/XG 


W 


I  I 


mobile,  ukelele,  or  ouija  board.     The  desire  to  make  things,  the 
constructive  instinct,  has  a  distinct  value  also.    -Build  it  your- 
self    and  ''Roll  your  own''  are  slogans  based  on  this  desire 
Guarantees  and  safety  devices  may  be  said  to  appeal  to  the 
instinct  of  self-preservation.    The  joy  and  benefits  of  ownership, 
the  common  dasire  to  possess  something,  must  not  be  omitted  from 
the  catalog  of  instincts.     The  spirit  of  pride,  whether  it  be  in 
personal  appearance  or  in  the  beautifying  of  one's  premises,  has 
been  responsible  for  many  sales.     To  these  interests  may  still 
be  added  personal  hobbies,  love  of  individualitv,  or  special  de- 
signs, making  any  number  of  appeals  by  which  one's  interest 
may  be  aroused  by  the  wording  on  a  show  card,  and  a  sale 
encouraged. 

74.  Headlines.— Headlines  are  sometimes  called  display  lines 
smce  they  are  more  prominently  displayed  than  the  body  of  the 
inscription.  They  may  be  divided  by  one  method  into  three 
classes:  headlines  containing  the  name  of  the  article  only,  as 
111  Fig.  142,  in  which  the  heading  simply  reads,  ''One  hundred 
and  twenty-two  silk  suits";  headlines  making  a  bald  statement 
of  some  selling  point  or  matter  of  interest  to  the  customer  as 
*Fun  m  the  boy's  shop,"  Fig.  137;  and  headlines  in  which 
the  article  is  named  and  a  selling  point  stated  also,  as  in  Fig. 
147,  where  the  kind  of  shoes  offered  is  mentioned  and  the  large 
discount  stated. 

Headlines  may  be  divided  by  another  method  into  three  other 
classes:  those  making  an  ordinary  statement,  Fig.  147;  those 
written  in  the  form  of  a  question  as,  "Where  was  your  flasli- 
light  when  the  lights  went  out  last  night?";  and  those  worded 
m  the  form  of  commands  as,  "Give  him  a  man's  gift  from  a 
man's  store,"  Fig.  140. 

Headlines  should  be  of  such  a  nature  as  to  make  it  easy  to 
read  on  into  the  body  of  the  card.  One  should  lead  into  the 
other,  no  break  occurring  in  the  thought  between  the  two.  The 
freakish  and  the  unusual  headline  does  not  do  this  so  well  as 
the  better  known  types  of  headlines,  as  it  attracts  too  much  at- 
tention to  itself. 

75.  Correcting  Errors.— Errors  are  often  made  by  misspell- 
ing and  omitting  words,  which  usually  happens  on  rush  orders 
when  little  time  can  be  afforded  for  redrawing  the  card.  Re- 
drawing may  be  avoided  in  such  cases  by  painting  out  the  whole 


PRINCIPLES  OF  SHOW-CARD  ADVERTISING 


HI 


line  of  lettering  with  the  color  in  which  the  line  was  made  and 
then  doing  the  lettering  over  again  in  white.  The  line  when 
painted  out  may  be  given  some  attractive  shape  which  will  add 
rather  than  detract  from  the  appearance  of  the  card,  Fig.  148, 
Sometimes  a  misspelled  word  can  be  painted  out  with  white  and 
the  word  lettered  over  again,  condensing  the  letters  so  that  the 
correct  spelling  will  occupy  the  same  amount  of  space  as  the 
original  lettering. 

Another  method  is  to  glue  a  thin  piece  of  cardboard  over  the 
misspelled  word  and  do  the  lettering  over  again  on  the  patch. 
This  patching  is  usually  not  noticeable  at  a  short  distance  if  it 
is  carefully  done.  The  edges  of  the  patch  may  be  beveled  with 
a  safety  razor  blade  so  as  to  make  them  less  noticeable. 


Uni^rkirr 

flrnjSV* 

II  lIn^crsku•li 

Fia.  148. — A  misspelled  word  corrected  by  repainting. 

If  none  of  these  methods  is  used  and  the  lettering  is  scratched 
out  with  a  sharp  knife  or  safety  razor  blade  it  should  be  done 
slowly  and  with  as  little  harm  as  possible  to  the  surface  of  the 
card.  When  ink  or  color  cakes  on  the  card,  it  may  be  scratched 
off  easily.  After  the  color  is  removed,  the  surface  of  the  card 
may  be  rubbed  with  an  eraser  and  then  smoothed  with  the 
thumb  nail  or  a  knife  handle.  A  little  soapstone  powder  helps 
in  bringing  back  a  surface  upon  which  the  color  or  ink  will  not 
blot.  Sticks  of  soapstone  may  be  procured  from  tinners  who  use 
it  to  mark  on  metal.  By  scraping  the  end  of  the  stick  with  a 
knife  enough  powder  will  result  to  rub  over  the  rough  spot  where 
the  correction  is  to  be  made. 

An  erasing  device  which  may  be  used  in  place  of  a  knife  or 
safety  razor  and  which  erases  the  ink  very  quickly  without 
defacing  the  card  is  shown  in  Fig.  149.  This  device  consists 
of  a  barrel  about  the  thickness  of  a  lead  pencil  and  about  half 


148 


SHOW-CARD  WRiriXO 


as  long.  By  turning  the  cap,  the  glass-like  fiber  brush  can  be 
adjusted  to  the  proper  working  length.  For  best  results  the 
fibers  should  not  extend  through  the  nozzle  more  than  an  eighth 
of  an  inch.  The  eraj:er  should  be  held  in  a  perpendicular  posi- 
tion,  thus  preventing  the  edges  of  the  brush  from  wearing  to  a 
point.  The  brush  can  be  replaced  for  a  few  cents  and  inserted 
in  the  barrel  whenever  the  old  brush  wears  out.     It  is  usually 


Fig.  149.— An  erasing  device  which  may  be  used  for  removlns  ink  or  color. 

possible  to  letter  directly  over  the  spot  erased  unless  the  card- 
board  is  spongy  and  soft. 

When  one  is  erasing  with  an  ordinary  rubber  eraser  it  is  dif- 
ficult to  confine  the  erasing  to  just  the  part  where  the  error  was 
made.  To  protect  the  surrounding  letters  or  to  erase  just  one 
line,  an  erasing  shield.  Fig.  150,  should  be  used.  By  moving 
the  adjustable  blade  over  any  opening  in  the  shield  an  aperture 


Fig.  150. — Metal  adjustable  erasing  shield. 

of  the  desired  shape  and  size  is  obtained  so  that  a  stroke  closely 
surrounded  by  others  may  be  removed  neatly  without  defacing 
the  adjacent  lines. 

76.  General  Suggestions.— In  actual  commercial  practice 
speed  is  very  essential,  but  this  element  should  be  ignored  when 
one  is  first  learning  to  letter.  Speed  will  come  later,  after  famili- 
arity  with  the  letters  has  been  acquired  by  slow  and  thoughtful 
practice.  The  student  who  studies  slowly,  later  becomes  the 
craftsman  who  works  swiftly  and  accurately.  Hurried  work  is 
seldom  the  best  work,  whether  it  is  lesson  work  or  lettering  for 
commercial  use. 


PRrNCTPLES  OF  fiHOWrARD  ADVERT! f^IXG 


14!) 


One  should  be  constantly  on  the  lookout  for  well  designed  lay- 
outs, particularly  in  the  better  class  of  magazine  advertisements. 
A  notebook  in  which  to  keep  sketches  of  these  layouts  will  be  a 
great  help,  as  one  cannot  always  rely  upon  the  memory. 

In  large  stores  the  card  writing  and  window  trimming  de- 
partments are  often  under  the  supervision  of  the  advertising 
manager.  Positions  in  these  departments  become  stepping-stones 
to  positions  in  the  advertising  department.  It  is  advisable,  then, 
for  one  who  wishes  to  get  ahead,  not  only  to  make  a  diligent 
study  of  the  principles  of  advertising  as  they  apply  to  card 
writing  but  to  carry  his  study  further  by  studying  retail  selling 
and  advertising.  Such  a  plan  should  make  advancement  rapid 
and  repay  one  for  the  effort. 


I 


II 


II 


I 


!lil 


CHAPTEK  VII 
CARD  WKITINO  PRAOTICB 

"The  professional  show-card  writer  is  as 
important  a  part  of  modern  business 
methods  and  equipment  as  the  clerli  who 
hands  the  goods  over  the  counter." 

Geo.  H.  Stipp. 

77.  Commercial  Viewpoint. — The  card  designer  working  un- 
der commercial  conditions  must  adapt  his  viewpoint  to  the  com- 
mercial rather  than  to  the  academic  and  theoretical  angle.  The 
speed  and  ease  with  which  cards  can  be  completed  and  the  effect 
these  cards  will  have  upon  his  reputation  are  the  things  with 
which  he  will  be  more  concerned.  The  application  of  card  writ- 
ing principlas  to  show  cards  is  what  interests  the  professional 
card  writer.  The  earnings  of  a  card  writer  depend  a  great  deal 
upon  the  quantity  of  work  he  is  able  to  turn  out,  increase  in 
quantity  meaning  an  increase  in  income.  If  the  cards  are  of  a 
superior  quality,  a  higher  charge  is  justifiable.  If  the  work  is 
done  speedily,  more  can  be  handled. 

The  merchant  purchasing  the  card  has  his  viewpoint  also.  He 
is  concerned  with  the  appearance  of  the  card,  its  appropriate- 
ness for  the  purpose  he  has  in  mind,  and  its  ability  to  promote 

sales. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  how  completely  at  sea  the  average 
merchant  or  any  other  customer  is  when  trying  to  explain  the 
kind  of  a  card  that  is  desired.    For  instance,  a  merchant  wants 
something  new  and  novel  to  go  with  a  Fall  Exhibition  which  he 
is  planning  to  have  in  the  windows  of  his  store,  the  cards  to 
reflect  the  character  of  the  displays.    He  asks  for  autumn  colors 
but  still  does  not  wish  any  of  the  ordinary  and  well-known 
schemes  for  obtaining  these  seasonal  effects.    He  has  no  definite 
idea  of  what  he  wants  at  all  but  he  knows  immediately,  when 
shown  some  cards,  whether  or  not  they  are  what  he  wants.    A 
card  writer  often  finds  himself  trying  to  meet  just  such  a  situa- 
tion.    Usually  if  he  succeeds  in  pleasing  his  customer,  it  adds 
greatly  to  his  reputation  as  a  card  writer.    It  is  in  an  emergency 

151 


152 


SHOW-CARD  WRlTrXG 


CARD  WRITING  PRACTICE 


153 


of  this  sort  that  a  notebook  of  ideas  is  valuable  as  it  may  be 
drawn  upon  for  help. 


Fig.   151. — A   style  of  type  which  gives 
the  Impression  of  cheapness. 

78.  First  Impressions. — In  considering  the  wording  and  ap- 
pearance of  a  card,  the  card  writer  should  concern  himself  with 
the  first  impression  the  card  will  give  to  the  reader.     If  the 


s 


\t 


■1 


Fig.  152. — The  same  wording  as  that  in  Fig.  151, 
lettered  more  attractively. 

lettering  is  not  harmonious  with  the  merchandise  on  sale,  the 
reader  may  get  the  wrong  idea  in  regard  to  the  quality  of  the 
goods.     The  border,  the  style  of  lettering,  and  the  cardboard 


should  all  be  considered  as  they  are  factors  which  contribute  to 
the  general  effect.  For  instance,  if  a  certain  lot  of  perfume 
were  offered  as  a  special  attraction  in  the  drug  department  of  a 
large  store  and  a  white  card  were  lettered  in  black,  as  in  Fig. 
151,  the  impression  of  cheapness  and  inferiority  would  be  felt 
at  the  first  glance.  If  a  linen  finished  mat  of  cream  or  buff 
color  were  used  instead  of  the  plain  white  card  and  lettered  in 
green,  using  a  style  of  type  as  shown  in  Fig.  152,  the  impression 


Fig.  153. — A  card  using  but  one  talking  point. 

(Design  hy  A.   Ohlnmn.     Courtesy  of 

Poster  Magazine  J  Chicago.) 

would  be  that  of  novelty.  This  card  would  be  very  appropriate 
for  advertising  Oriental  perfumes  as  the  lettering  has  a  sugges- 
tion of  Japanese  style.  • 

79.  Unity  of  Thought  in  Inscription. — The  show-card  w^riter 
should  not  try  to  say  too  much  on  a  show  card.  He  should, 
when  possible,  put  no  more  than  a  single  idea  in  the  appeal 
as  too  many  ideas  rob  the  card  of  its  effectiveness.  One  idea 
properly  put  forth  as  a  rule  makes  the  most  successful  type 
of  card. 

An  example  of  unity  of  thought  is  shown  in  Fig.  153,  the  aim 
being  to  arouse  interest  in  boolcs.  This  one  idea  was  all  that 
was  considered  on  the  card.    Had  the  card  been  cluttered  up 


154 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


CARD  WRfTfXa  PRACTICE 


155 


li! 


I  I 


!t 


I 

I 


with  numerous  talking  points  on  the  thousand  and  one  benefits  of 
books  it  would  have  sacrificed  its  simplicity  and  unity  and  been 
less  effective. 

In  line  with  unity  of  thought  in  a  card  is  the  repetition  of 
an  idea,  selling  point,  or  name  throughout  several  cards  so  as  to 
give  unity  to  an  entire  series  of  cards.     '*In  union  there  is 


Fig.  154. — An  interesting  example  of  Individuality. 
{Design  by  Wood  Maclane.     Courtesy  of 
Poster  Magazine,  Chicago.) 

strength'';  therefore,  repetition  of  some  one  idea  throughout 
several  cards  emphasizes  and  deepens  the  impression  of  that 
idea. 

80.  Individuality. — Sooner  or  later  the  show-card  writer 
forms  the  habit  of  using  one  or  more  styles  of  lettering  with 
certain  variations  which  he  has  developed  for  himself.  His  let- 
tering becomes  as  individual  as  his  hand  writing,  and  he  needs 
no  better  advertisement  than  this  individuality. 


An  interesting  example  of  individuality  is  Wood  Maclane 's 
announcement  card  shown  in  Fig.  154.  This  illustration  shows 
a  girl  in  a  loose-flowing  tunic  dancing  to  the  music  of  pipes 
played  by  a  satyr.  Roses  hang  from  the  girl's  shoulders  and 
form  a  crown  for  the  satyr.  The  background  is  a  woodsy  brown 
which  sets  off  the  figures  in  the  design.    The  details  are  drawn 


Fig.  155. — ^A  collection  of  cards  by  different  designers  indicating  variety  In 
individual  treatment  with  no  change  in  the  wording. 

(Courtesy  of  Signs  of  the  Times,  Cincinnati.) 

simply,  a  peculiarly  individual  treatment  being  given  to  every 
part  of  the  design.  The  girl's  hair  is  outlined  in  a  few  simple 
wavy  lines,  and  the  flowers  are  exceedingly  simple,  though  un- 
usual and  novel.  Cards  of  this  style  are  becoming  more  popular, 
especially  in  theatrical  advertising. 

A  collection  of  six  cards  showing  individuality  is  illustrated 
in  Fig.  155,  each  card  being  drawn  by  a  different  designer. 
Two  are  made  without  the  introduction  of  the  human  figure  and 


156 


SHOW-CARD  WRITfXO 


two  introduce  silhouettes,  while  only  two  of  the  six  show  the 
human  form  in  a  more  or  less  realistic  fashion.  The  trade  mark 
is  the  only  detail  repeated  in  all  six  designs,  the  treatment  of  the 
lettering  and  drawing  being  different  in  each  card. 

Expression  of  individuality  can  be  accomplished  successfully 
only  after  one  is  thoroughly  familiar  with  the  usual  styles  of 


'! 


y""!! 


II 


00 
CM 


I 
I 
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I 
I 
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Fig.  156. — ^A  full -sized  sheet  cut  into  cigbtha. 

lettering.  For  this  reason  the  student  should  not  attempt  to 
letter  in  too  many  different  styles.  A  mastery  of  some  form  of 
the  Roman  will  be  sufficient  to  meet  most  of  his  everyday  needs. 
Gradually  he  will  adopt  variations  of  his  own.  The  factors 
which  make  for  good  work,  such  as  spacing,  proportion,  balance, 
and  good  construction  of  letters,  are  much  the  same  in  all  styles 
of  lettering  so  no  trouble  should  be  experienced  in  applying  the 
principles  to  any  style.    The  policy  of  using  but  one  or  two  styles 


CARD  WRITING  PRACTICE 


167 


concentrates  the  student's  efforts,  enabling  him  to  give  earlier 
attention  to  individuality. 

81.  Laying  Out  the  Oard.~In  order  to  study  the  method  of 
making  show  cards  it  may  be  assumed  for  example  that  a  certain 
merchant  wants  four  cards,  all  alike,  to  be  placed  on  the  show- 
cases in  the  necktie  department  of  his  clothing  store.  These 
neckties  are  to  sell  at  $2.50  each  and  are  the  coming  fall  styles. 


Fig.  157. — A  cardboard  trimmer  in 
operation. 

In  considering  the  order  the  card  writer  decides  that  the 
cards  need  not  be  large  since  they  will  be  displayed  near  the 
neckties  on  the  counter.  Like  a  number  of  retail  stores  this  store 
does  not  use  colored  cards  so  the  lettering  will  be  black  and  the 
card  w^hite.  A  tall  narrow  card  is  preferable  since  it  will  har- 
monize best  with  the  shape  of  the  ties,  and  will  stand  out  on  the 
counter  more  prominently  than  a  low  rectangular  card. 

A  one-twelfth  sheet  of  bristol  board  will  be  the  most  convenient 
standard  size  of  cardboard  to  use.    This  size  is  made  by  cutting 


158 


SHOW-CARD  WRfTIXO 


CARD  WRITING  PRACTICE 


159 


m 


the  full  sheet,  a  sheet  22  by  28  in.  in  size,  in  two  across  the  22-in. 
edge  and  in  six  pieces  across  the  28-in.  edge,  each  piece  being 
about  4%  by  11  in.    By  cutting  the  large  sheets  into  a  certain 


Fig.  15S.— 
Rough  draft 
of  a  pro- 
posed card. 


number  of  parts, — quarters,  sixths,  eighths,  and  so  on — there  is 
no  waste.  Fig.  156. 

A  trimmer  may  be  used  for  cutting  the  sheets  of  bristol  board, 
Fig.  157.    It  may  be  fitted  with  gauges  for  measuring  the  width 


Fig.  159.— 
Pencil  lay- 
out for  a 
pro  posed 
card. 

of  the  sheet  automatically,  although  the  table  section  is  equipped 
with  a  ruler  and  ruled  with  lines  so  that  the  sheet  can  be  meas- 
ured without  any  gauge  if  desired.  A  much  smoother  and 
straighter  edge  can  be  cut  with  this  trimmer  than  with  a  pair  of 
shears  or  a  knife  and  in  much  less  time.  Cardboard  supply 
houses  are  usually  equipped  with  cutters  of  this  sort  so  that  cards 


may  be  purchased  already  cut  in  any  desired  size.  In  the  large 
studios,  however,  cards  are  trimmed  to  size  as  they  are  used,  as 
it  is  difficult  to  estimate  in  advance  how  many  cards  of  a  certain 
size  will  be  needed. 

After  the  cards  are  cut  in  twelfth  sheets  from  the  full-sized 
sheets  of  bristol  board,  the  lettering  is  roughly  laid  out  on  a 
piece  of  scratch  paper.  This  layout  is  then  pencilled  in  on  the 
card  itself,  Fig.  158.  A  modified  Roman  style  of  type  is  selected 
since  masculine  tastes  do  not  run  to  the  fancier  styles  of  letters. 
Slight  variations  are  introduced  to  give  the  card  the  spirit  of 
newness  and  novelty  so  that  it  will  suggest  the  newness  and  nov- 
elty of  the  coming  fall  styles  of  ties.    The  lettering  is  roughly 


Fio.  160. — 
Show  card 
with  the  let- 
tering inliod 
in. 

pencilled  in  with  a  sharp,  pointed  stick  of  charcoal,  as  in  Fig. 
159,  double  border  lines  being  drawn  near  the  top  and  the  bottom 
of  the  card.  Small  squares  may  be  drawn  in  the  large  white  spaces 
to  embellish  the  card  and  to  relieve  its  plainness.  Inking  in  com- 
pletes the  card.  Fig.  160,  and  when  the  ink  is  dry,  the  charcoal 
may  be  dusted  off  with  a  cloth.    See  also  Fig.  161. 

82.  Making  Duplicate  Cards.— There  are  several  ways  in 
which  duplicate  cards  may  be  made.  A  sheet  of  tracing  paper 
may  be  laid  over  a  completed  card  and  a  tracing  made  in  pencil. 
The  tracing  can  then  be  placed  over  a  clean  card  and  a  sheet  of 
black  carbon  paper  inserted  underneath  the  tracing.  The  trac- 
ing may  be  gone  over  quickly  and  roughly  with  a  hard,  sharp 
pencil,  a  rough  carbon  copy  of  the  original  card,  which  can  be 
inked  in  immediately,  showing  on  the  new  card.    Black  carbon 


t 

i 


I ' 


160 


ISUOW-CAJx'D  WRITINO 


CARD  WRITINO  PRACTICE 


161 


u 


paper  should  be  used,  as  lines  made  by  the  use  of  purple  carbon 
paper  do  not  erase  so  well. 

Another  method  of  laying  out  duplicates  is  to  tack  the  original 
card  alongside  a  new  card  and  project  guide  lines  across  the 
new  card  with  a  T-square,  laying  off  the  height  of  the  lines  of 
lettering  from  one  card  to  the  other,  Fig.  161.  After  these  hori- 
zontal lines  are  drawn,  the  original  card  may  be  tacked  above 
the  new  card  and  the  length  and  pasition  of  each  word  located 
by  projecting  lines  downward  by  means  of  the  T-square.  The 
lettering  may  then  be  put  in  on  the  layout,  when  the  new  card 
will  duplicate  the  original. 


^^^  f-= 


rv^^^^pmmmmni 


Fig.    161. — Layini?   out    duplicate   cards   by 
projecting  lines  with  a  T-square. 

A  more  convenient  type  of  straight-edge  than  the  ordinary 
T-square  is  the  parallel  rule  attachment.  Fig.  162,  which  may  be 
fitted  to  large  sized  drawing  tables.  The  rule  is  kept  perfectly 
horizontal  at  all  times  by  means  of  the  pulleys  shown  on  the 
under-side  of  the  board.  It  does  not  have  to  be  held  in  position 
by  the  hand  as  does  the  ordinary  T-square. 

Still  another  method  used  when  duplicate  cards  are  drawn 
is  that  of  cutting  two  narrow  paper  guide  strips,  laying  off  all 
the  horizontal  dimensions  of  the  words  and  lines  on  one  and  all 
the  vertical  dimensions  on  the  other,  and  tacking  one  strip  above 
and  the  other  along  the  edge  of  the  new  card.  Fig.  163.  Using 
a  T-square,  the  height  of  the  letters  may  be  projected  across  the 
card  from  the  strip  containing  the  vertical  dimensions.  If  two 
or  three  cards  are  tacked  down  on  the  board  in  a  row,  the 
T-square  will  reach  across  all  of  them  and  make  it  possible  to 


lay  off  the  height  of  the  letters  over  all  of  the  cards  at  one 
time.  Using  the  triangle  and  T-square,  the  length  of  the  words 
and  lines  may  be  projected  downward  from  the  strip  containing 
the  horizontal  dimensions.     After  the  horizontal  and  vertical 


Fig.  162. — Parallel  rule  attachment  with  straight-edge. 

dimen^ons  are  laid  off,  the  lettering  may  be  pencilled  in  as  usual 
and  then  inked  in. 

83.  Practical  Show-card  Designs. — In  designing  a  card  the 
style  of  lettering  should  be  one  adapted  to  the  tools  used.  Brush 
styles  of  letters  are  too  bulky  to  be  drawn  with  pens,  and  pen 
styles  are  not  simple  enough  to  be  drawn  with  brushes  without 


162 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


considerable  difficulty.     The  necktie  card,  Fig.  164,  is  one  that 
was  originally  drawn  with  a  flat  shoe  type  of  pen.    The  letters 


m 


.A^ 


\  i 


V^ 


iliiiiiiimnpi 


•^^^W>^«»iW^*»»» 


D 


Pig.  163. — Laying  out  duplicate  cards  by 
means  of  a  measuring  strip  and  a 
T-square. 

themselves  are  just  such  letters  as  would  be  most  easily  made 
with  that  style  of  pen.     The  border  dasign  is  also  one  which 


r 


%■ 


attractive 


V.^ 


.-/ 


Fio    164. — A  neclctie  show  card  drawn 
with  a  flat  shoe  type  of  pen. 


could  be  drawn  quickly  with  this  type  of  pen  along  a  ruler  or 
straight-edge,  and  harmonizes  very  well  with  the  lettering. 


CARD  WRITING  PRACTICE 


103 


The  layout  of  Fig.  164  is  also  worthy  of  study,  the  heading 
being  set  off  by  considerable  white  space  and  by  the  two  lines 
of  lettering  being  spaced  a  little  further  apart  than  usual.  The 
wording  of  the  heading  induces  the  reader  to  note  the  scarfs, 
leading  him  to  examine  the  goods.  The  second  panel  of  letter- 
ing is  directly  underneath  and  in  line  with  the  heading.  Guide 
lines  from  the  heading  were  drawn  downwards  with  the  triangle 
and  T-square  when  the  layout  was  made.    The  wording  is  brief 


Fio.   165. — A  pen-lettered  card  in  open,   vertical,   single-stroke  letten. 

and  the  lines  are  set  closely  and  compactly.  The  price  mark  is 
printed  large.  Price  marks  are  usually  lettered  in  fairly  heavy 
numerals  to  contrast  with  the  lettering.  Some  designers  object 
to  heavy  letters  or  figures  near  the  base  of  the  card,  but  in  this 
case  the  numerals  are  so  full  and  open  that  this  objection  is 
overcome.  In  all  cases,  however,  the  dollar  mark  should  be 
rather  small.  The  usual  practice  is  to  treat  it  in  some  unusual 
and  distinctive  manner  as  in  this  card  where  it  has  been  simplified 
by  leaving  out  one  of  the  vertical  strokes. 

The  card  advertising  straw  hats.  Fig.  165,  is  also  a  pen  lettered 
card,  full  and  open  in  its  style.  The  theatrical  announcement, 
Fig.  166,  like  most  cards  for  theaters,  is  designed  with  a  rather 


m 


164 


SnOW-CA  RD  WRITING 


unique  style  of  lettering.     All  three  of  these  cards  make  good 
use  of  white  space  in  the  margins,  thus  setting  off  the  lettering. 

The  eoileetion  of  cards  shown  in  Fig.  167  was  made  for  a  retail 
drug  store.  Each  card  makes  use  of  illustrations,  only  one  of 
which  is  a  clipping  mounted  on  the  card.    All  of  the  cards,  except 


NEXT  JAT. 

r\7r    i*EAT5» 

« iBBiHaaBi^HiHi  m 

CLUOTT.COn^TOCk; 
&  GE9T.  pre ^&r\^r 


YOV 
LATER 

•      fSY    BOLTOM 


Fig.    166. — A    theater    anDouncement    in   a 
unique  style  of  lettering. 

one,  are  cut  in  unasual  shapes  at  the  top.  Such  shapes  are 
effective  if  they  are  not  too  fantastic.  The  Djer-Kiss  advertise- 
ment i.s  the  only  one  in  this  group  whose  outline  is  not  simple 
and  plain.  There  is  a  growing  tendency,  especially  among  drug- 
gists, to  show  simple,  decorative  pictures  of  the  article  on  sale 
on  the  show  cards.  After  one  has  learned  the  trick  of  painting 
decorative  illustrations  like  these  in  flat  tones,  omitting  all  un- 
necessary details  and  putting  a  suggestive  touch  here  and  there 


CARD  WRITING  PRACTICE 


1(15 


to  indicate  highlights,  it  is  not  difficult  to  make  drawings  of 
simple  articles  with  good  effect.     The  circular  shield  with  the 


Fig.  167. — A  collection  of  cards  used  in  a  retail  drug  store. 

(Courteay  of  Owl  Drug  Co.) 

short  brush  strokes  radiating  about  its  edge  forms  a  good  back- 
ground to  use  with  either  painted  or  mounted  illustrations. 
Cards  of  the  quality  of  those  shown  in  Fig.  167  naturally  bring 


II 


166 


SUOW'CARD  WRITING 


good  prices.  They  are  comparatively  simple  to  make,  but  one 
should  experiment  and  practice  making  such  designs  for  some 
time  before  attempting  to  furnish  them  to  the  trade  steadily. 
They  are  too  difficult  for  beginners,  but  they  illustrate  clearly 
the  quality  of  work  done  in  the  leading  show-card  shops  through- 
out the  country. 


\h\ 


:»• 


in 


CHAPTER  VIII 

SIMPLE  DESIGNS  IN  COLOR 
AIR  BRUSH  MANIPULATION 

"The  use  of  color  Is  probably  the  easiest 
moans  of  attracting  the  oye." 

Harry   L.   Illett. 

84.  Effects  Produced  by  Colors.— Color  plays  upon  the  feel- 
ings in  much  the  same  way  as  music  plays  upon  the  emotions. 
Some  colors  are  cheerful  and  stimulating  while  others  are  gloomy 
and  depressing.  Light  colors  arouse  gay  moods  while  dark 
colors  are  less  inclined  to  produce  such  effects.  Bright  colors 
play  strongly  upon  the  feelings  while  gray  and  subdued  colors 
are  not  so  powerful ;  consequently,  the  latter  are  less  tiresome. 
A  pure  color  is  neither  so  dignified  nor  so  refined  as  a  gray 
color.  A  moderately  gray  color  has  a  certain  amount  of  strength 
in  its  appeal  and  at  the  same  time  is  refined  and  restful. 

Red  is  the  most  exciting  of  all  the  colors.  It  is  used  more 
for  attracting  the  attention  or  for  decorative  purposes  during 
occasions  of  celebration  than  any  other  color.  It  is,  however, 
fatiguing  and  should  not  be  used  in  its  purity  for  permanent 
work  nor  displayed  where  a  more  refined  color  is  preferable. 
Yellow  is  also  a  color  which  creates  the  effect  of  brightness  and 
gayety  and  has  great  strength  when  used  in  combination  with 
a  dark,  contrasting  color  or  with  black.  Blue  is  cool  and  restful. 
Green  is  more  refreshing  than  blue.  It  is  easy  to  associate  the 
cheerful  tones  of  yellow-green  with  the  freshness  of  spring  and 
early  summer.  Purple  is  a  color  of  aristocratic  dignity  while 
orange  is  rich  and  warm.  All  these  effects  should  be  kept  in 
mind  in  selecting  colors. 

85.  Selecting  Colors.— When  one  is  planning  what  colors  to 
use,  the  impression  which  the  card  as  a  whole  will  give  should 
be  kept  in  mind.  The  aim  should  be  to  secure  unity ;  that  is, 
to  give  one  dominating  impression ;  to  have  all  the  details,  the 
colors,  the  border,  the  style  of  lettering,  and  the  cardboard  itself, 
aim  toward  one  general  effect.    This  effect  should  harmonize  with 

167 


I 


H 


II 


168 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


SIMPLE  DESIGNS  IN  COLOR 


169 


the  character  of  the  display  with  which  the  card  is  to  be  placed. 
While  some  firms  use  only  black  and  white  cards,  most  firms  are 
willing  to  use  colors  when  the  effect  is  good.  Theaters  and  drug 
stores  use  colored  cards  quite  liberally.  The  public  never  out- 
grows the  appeal  of  well-arranged  color. 

Simple  effects  should  always  be  preferred  to  elaborate  schemes. 
A  confusion  of  colors  produces  no  definite  effect  but  simply  be- 
wilders the  eye.  Colors  are  most  effective  when  the  number  used 
is  small. 

Feminine  tastes  lean  toward  the  more  delicate  and  restrained 
colors.  Emphasis  may  be  given  such  colors,  without  destroying 
their  refinement,  by  using  them  in  light,  bright  tints  on  a  black 
or  dark  background  when  they  will  have  greater  carrying  power. 
Women  appreciate  well-selected  color  schemes  and  are  quick  to 
detect  poorly  matched  colors.  The  card  writer  should  use  care, 
therefore,  in  designing  colored  cards  which  are  intended  for  ad- 
vertising articles  to  feminine  trade. 

86.  Two-color  Schemes. — Simple  color  schemes  of  two  colors 
are  widely  used  in  card  writing.  They  may  be  composed  of 
contrasting  colors  or  of  analogous  colors  and  are  effective  and 
pleasing  when  well  done. 

A  list  of  two-color  combinations  are  given  below  with  sugges- 
tions as  to  their  worth : 

'Blue — good 

Yel  low — moderate 
Red  withK  Orange-red — moderate 

Blue-green — fair 
^  Yellow-green — fair 


Orange  with 


"Blue — good,  but  powerful 
Green — fair 
Blue-green — good 
Purple — good,  usually 


Some  schemes  in  two  contrasting  colors  which  may  be  used  in 
spite  of  the  contrast  between  the  colors  are  given  in  the  follow- 
ing list: 

Violet  and  light  pink  of  yellowish  tinge 

Deep  blue  and  yellow-green 

Brownish-yellow  and  deep  green 

Dull  blue  and  dull  orange 

Chocolatf  and  pea  green 

Deep  red  and  gray 

Red  and  yellowish  green 

Golden  brown  and  olive  green 


INTENTIONAL  SECOND  EXPOSURE 


1G8 


SnOWCAItD  WRITIXG 


the  cliarai'ter  of  the  display  with  which  tlie  card  is  to  be  placed. 
While  .some  linns  use  only  black  and  white  cards,  most  firms  arc 
willing  to  use  colors  when  the  elfect  is  good.  Theaters  and  drug 
stores  use  colored  cards  (piite  liberally.  The  public  never  out- 
grows the  appeal  of  well-arranged  color. 

Simple  elTects  should  always  be  preferred  to  elaborate  schemes. 
A  confusion  of  colors  produces  no  definite  effect  but  simply  be- 
wilders the  eye.  Colors  are  most  effective  when  the  number  used 
is  small. 

Feminine  tastes  lean  toward  the  more  delicate  and  restrained 
colors.  Emphasis  may  be  given  such  colors,  without  destroying 
their  refinement,  by  using  them  in  light,  bright  tints  on  a  black 
or  dark  background  when  they  will  have  greater  carrying  power. 
Women  ap{)reciate  well-selected  color  schemes  and  are  quick  to 
detect  poorly  matched  colors.  The  card  writer  should  use  care, 
therefore,  in  designing  colored  cards  which  are  intended  for  ad- 
vertising articles  to  feminine  trade. 

86.  Two-color  Schemes. — Simple  color  schemes  of  two  colors 
are  widely  used  in  card  writing.  They  may  be  composed  of 
contrasting  colors  or  of  analogous  colors  and  are  effective  and 
pleasing  when  well  done. 

A  list  of  two-color  combinations  are  given  below  with  sugges- 
tions as  to  their  worth: 

"Blue — good 

Y«»l  low — moderate 
Red  with-<  Oraiipe-red — moderate 

Bliu'-<;reen — fair 
^  Yellow-green — fair 


Orange  with-< 


Blue — good,  but  powerful 
Green — fair 
Bl  ue-<jreen — ^good 
Purple — good,  usually 


Some 
spite  of 
ing  list: 


schemes  in  two  contrasting  colors  which  may  be  used  in 
the  contrast  between  the  colors  are  given  in  the  follow- 


Violct  and  lifjlit  pink  of  yellowish  tinge 

Beep  blue  and  yellow-green 

Brown isb-yellow  and  deep  green 

Dull  blue  and  dull  orange 

riioeolatc  and  pea  green 

l)eep  red  and  ^trj 

Red  and  yellowish  green 

Golden  brown  and  olive  green 


SIMPLE  DESIGNS  IN  COLOR 


169 


I 


170 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 

Deep  blue  and  light  olive  green 
Black  and  buff 
Black  and  light  green 


SIMPLE  DESIGNS  IN  COLOR 


171 


nil 


V 


I 


a 

> 

o 
o 

b 


c 

o 


o 


e 


.c 
a 

o 


Ci 

CD 


o 


I  ^lli 


A  great  many  colors  make  suitable  two-tone  schemes  when  a 
light  and  a  dark  tone  of  the  same  color  are  used.  A  scheme  of 
light  buff  and  sepia  is  a  common  example.  The  contrast  between 
the  colors  in  schemes  of  this  sort  may  be  secured  by  using  a  pure 


tint  and  a  dark  tone  or  by  graying  a  tone  in  contrast  to  a  brighter, 
purer  tone.  Either  method  will  produce  two-tone  effects,  thougli 
the  result  will  be  different. 

87.  Effect  of  Texture. — In  aiming  for  a  certain  effect,  the 
texture  of  the  card  should  not  be  overlooked.  Cardboard  is 
made  in  many  different  finishes,  and  each  finish  has  a  personality 
of  its  own.  Cheaper  stock  may  be  used  when  a  card  is  colored 
than  when  it  is  white.  A  glossy,  shiny  surface  has  a  less  refined 
appearance  than  a  duller  finish.  Rough  surfaces  arc  known  as 
eggshell,  pebble,  and  linen  finishas.  Since  each  finish  has  a  per- 
sonality of  its  own,  it  is  necessary  to  become  familiar  with  the 
different  kinds  of  cardboard  and  the  sizes  in  which  they  are 
cut.    Therefore,  one  should  study  the  folders  of  samples  which 


1 


Fio.  170. — Rordpra  suitable  for  sliow  cards. 

dealers  in  cardboard  publish  since  they  indicate  the  various  kinds 
of  stock  which  they  manufacture.  An  illustration  of  one  of 
these  folders  is  shown  in  Fig.  168  which  gives  an  idea  of  the 
large  range  of  boards  made  for  card  writers.  In  addition  to 
supplying  a  large  variety  of  cardboard,  the  manufacturers  usu- 
ally will  fill  orders  for  cards  cut  to  special  sizes  or  fancy  shapes 
with  plain,  beveled,  or  gold  bronze  edges,  as  desired.  Some 
firms  even  make  a  specialty  of  doing  finishing  work  for  cus- 
tomers. 

Card  finishes  imitating  wood  are  shown  in  Fig.  169.  Novel 
finishes  of  this  sort  are  quite  popular  with  some  card  writers,  but 
there  is  some  question,  from  an  artistic  viewpoint,  as  to  the 
propriety  of  using  an  imitation  of  wood  veneer  as  a  card  back- 
ground. The  finish  of  this  stock  is  quite  realistic  and  not  with- 
out some  merit,  nevertheless. 

88.  Borders. — Border  lines  on  show  cards  should  not  be 
elaborate  as  they  require  too  mucli  time  in  the  making  and  also 
take  the  reader's  attention  from  the  inscription  on  the  card. 


172 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


;i 


N 


I  ? 


Simple,  straight  lines  are  practically  as  effective  as  any  other 
kind  of  border,  Fig.  170.  The  lines  in  the  border  should  run 
parallel  with  the  edge  of  the  cardboard,  as  borders  containing 
lines  at  right  angles  to  the  edge  of  the  card  require  a  much 
longer  time  to  draw. 

Whether  a  border  is  used  or  not,  there  should  be  as  large  a 
margin  on  the  card  as  possible.    A  panel  of  lettering  close  to  the 


Fig.  171. — 


Correct  position  for  drawing  border  lines  near  the  edge 
of  the  card. 


edge  of  the  card  makes  the  card  look  cramped.  The  margin 
emphasizes  the  inscription.  Plenty  of  margin  means  plenty  of 
contrast,  as  the  ''silent  white  space''  makes  the  inscription 
stand  out  better  and  gives  the  card  a  neat  and  artistic  ap- 
pearance. 

When  borders  are  drawn  with  a  brush,  the  brush  may  be  guided 
by  tilting  the  T-square  or  a  ruler  so  as  to  bring  the  upper  edge 
slightly  above  the  paper.  Another  method  is  to  hold  the  little 
finger  and  the  finger  next  to  it  against  the  edge  of  the  board, 


SIMPLE  DESIGNS  IN  COLOR 


173 


drawing  the  brush  along  with  these  fingers  acting  as  guides,  Fig. 
171.  In  this  position  these  guide  fingers  must  be  kept  steady, 
so  the  line  will  not  be  shaky.  This  is  not  difficult  to  do  if 
the  fingers  take  the  proper  position,  as  shown  in  the  illustra- 
tion. 

A  ''rigger'*  brush  is  the  most  suitable  for  brush  drawn  border 
lines.  Some  card  writers  use  what  they  call  a  "bridge"  for 
guiding  the  brush  when  long  straight  lines  are  to  be  drawn. 
This  bridge  is  merely  a  ruler  with  a  block  of  wood  tacked  under 
each  end  to  keep  the  working  edge  above  the  paper.  The  tips 
of  the  middle  and  ring  fingers  are  rested  against  the  edge  of  the 
ruler  and  the  line  drawn  as  usual.  The  bridge  may  be  used  also 
as  a  rest  in  making  the  brush  strokes.  Many  artists  find  that 
they  can  make  more  accurate  strokes  if  they  work  with  the  hand 
in  a  position  of  slight  elevation  over  the  paper.    The  bridge  may 


Fig.  172. — The  Rudersdorf  adjustable  brush 
rule  in  use. 

be  used  also  in  working  over  a  wet  surface,  thus  saving  a  great 
deal  of  time. 

The  Rudersdorf  adjustable  brush  rule.  Fig.  172,  is  an  im- 
provement over  the  home-made  bridge.  The  cleats  at  the  ends 
are  movable  and  can  be  adjusted  to  large  or  small  sheets.  It  is 
not  necessary  to  tack  the  paper  down  as  the  cleats  will  hold  it  in 
place  and  keep  it  flat.  The  following  directions  are  given  for 
its  use: 

"Adjust  the  cleats  of  the  Brush  Rule  so  that  both  rest  on  your 
paper.  Thus  the  paper  is  held  securely  while  you  draw  your  Hue. 
Have  sufficient  ink  or  paint  on  the  brush  to  complete  the  entire  line 
if  possible.  Now  hold  the  brush  firmly  in  a  vertical  position  against 
the  edge  of  the  rule.  Raise  or  lower  the  position  of  the  fingers  on 
the  brush  according  to  the  width  of  line  desired,  but  be  sure  the  thumb 
rests  firmly  on  the  rule  so  that  the  line  will  be  perfectly  uniform  in 


174 


SHOW-CARD  WRITIXO 


its  entire  length.  Draw  the  biiish  forward  unhesitatingly,  using  the 
whole  arm,  and  not  allowing  the  fingers  to  change  their  position  in 
relation  to  the  brush  or  the  nile." 


■| 


'i 


Wn».^*'  '^"** 


kMfi 


Fig.  173.— Glsburno  drawing  and  ruling 

pen. 


If  narrow  pen-drawn  border  lines  are  to  be  used,  it  is  best  to 
make  them  with  a  ruling  pen.  For  heavy  border  lines  the  Pay- 
zant  pen  is  better,  however,  as  a  ruling  pen  necessitates  the 


Fio.  174.— Method  for  drawing  a  circle  witti  a  brush. 

drawing  of  two  parallel  lines  and  filling  in  the  space  between  with 
a  brush. 

The  Gisburne  drawing  and  ruling  pen,  Fig.  173,  is  made  espe- 
cially for  drawing  border  lines.    The  pen  is  held  with  the  open 


SIMPLE  DESIGNS  IN  COLOR 


175 


side  up,  letting  both  edges  of  the  point  touch  the  paper  squarely. 
The  pen  may  be  filled  with  a  quill,  a  dropper,  or  with  another 
pen,  drawing  the  ink  well  down  into  the  point.  It  may  be  dipped 
into  the  ink  bottle,  if  one  prefers,  in  which  case  the  outside  blades 
should  be  wiped  with  a  cloth  or  stroked  lightly  on  a  penwiper. 
Should  the  ink  clog  or  the  pen  refuse  to  write,  the  smooth  edge 
of  a  piece  of  paper  should  be  drawn  through  the  point  or  the 
pen  tapped  gently  on  the  mouth  of  the  ink  bottle.  The  pen  is 
cleaned  by  touching  the  open  side  of  the  nibs  to  a  blotter  until 
the  ink  is  absorbed,  rather  than  cleaning  it  on  a  sponge.  The 
ink  should  not  be  allowed  to  dry  on  the  pen,  nor  anything  be 
drawn  through  the  point  which  will  clog  it  or  spread  the  blades. 
If  it  is  the  intention  to  spread  the  blades  purposely  so  as  to 
make  a  broader  stroke  passible,  folded  paper  should  be  used, 
drawing  it  through  the  point. 


Ill 


Fig.  175. — Method  for  laying  out  an  oval. 


89.  Circles  and  Ovals. — To  make  a  circle  w^ith  a  brush,  a 
string  may  be  fastened  to  a  pin  in  the  center  of  the  space 
which  the  circle  is  to  occupy,  Fig.  174,  looping  the  free 
end  of  the  string  about  the  brush  handle  and  revolving  the 
cardboard,  the  brush  remaining  in  the  same  position  all  the 
time. 

To  make  an  oval,  a  horizontal  line  is  drawn  the  length  of  the 
desired  oval.    At  the  center  of  this  line,  another  line  is  laid  out 


176 


SHOW-CARD  WRITIXG 


SIMPLE  DESiaXS  J\  (VLOU 


177 


equal  to  the  width  of  the  oval.  These  two  lines  should  be  at 
right  angles  to  each  other,  with  the  centers  coinciding.  A  short 
piece  of  cord  equal  to  half  the  length  of  the  oval  is  then  tied 


Fig.  176. — An  illustration  of  the 
use  of  an  oval  on  a  show 
card. 


around  a  pencil.     The  end  of  the  cord  is  next  placed  at  one  end 
of  the  line  representing  the  width  of  the  oval,  Fig.  175.    The 


I 


pencil  may  now  be  swung  in  a  semi-circle  holding  it  straight  up 
and  down  so  that  a  curved  Vine  is  made  cutting  the  line  repre- 
senting the  length  of  the  oval.  Two  pins  should  be  put  in  the 
card  at  these  points  of  intersection  and  a  third  pin  at  one  end 
of  the  line  representing  the  width.  A  piece  of  string  should  be 
run  about  these  three  pins  and  pulled  fairly  tight,  the  pin  on  the 
line  representing  the  width  of  the  oval  being  drawn  out  and 
the  point  of  the  pencil  put  in  its  place.  With  the  string  kept 
tight,  the  pencil  should  be  moved  along,  the  resulting  line 
being  an  oval  of  the  length  and  width  desired.  An  an- 
nouncement in  which  an  oval  has  been  used  is  illustrated  in 
Fig.  176. 

90.  Enlarging  Devices. — Freehand  drawings  are  often  used 
on  show  cards,  large  drawings  being  used  on  outdoor  signs  and 
smaller  drawings  on  counter  and  window  display  cards.     For 


Fig.    177. — A    pantograph    for   enlarging     and     reducing  drawings. 

transferring  or  enlarging  such  drawings  on  ordinary  cards  a 
pantograph  may  be  used,  P^ig.  177,  which  consists  of  four  wooden 
arms  containing  numbered  holes  at  certain  distances  apart,  one  of 
the  arms  being  fastened  to  a  stationary  block.  When  an  enlarge- 
ment is  to  be  made,  the  steel  screws  are  set  so  that  holes  of  the 
same  numbers  are  adjusted  in  all  four  arms.  The  middle  peg 
is  then  traced  over  the  design  to  be  enlarged,  the  pencil  on  the 
free  end  reproducing  it  in  light  lines.  Unless  one  understands 
the  numbering  of  the  holes,  some  difficulty  will  be  experienced  in 
enlarging  designs  exactly  to  the  size  desired. 

For  large  banners  and  posters  a  reflecting  lantern  or  Balopti- 


III 


178 


SHOW-CARD  ]yRITINO 


can,  as  it  is  called,  is  practical,  Fig.  178.  By  means  of  this  lan- 
tern, an  image  of  the  desired  picture  or  design  may  be  projected 
in  a  greatly  enlarged  size  on  the  card  or  sign.  The  outline  of  the 
enlargement  can  then  be  traced  with  charcoal  or  a  soft  pencil  and 


1 


t  ' 


Fig.    178. — A    Baloptiran    reflecting   lan- 
tern for  enlarginj;. 

the  color  applied  in  a  broad,  flat  style  such  as  is  found  in  poster 
work,  ignoring  small  details  and  delicate  coloring. 

Another  method  of  enlarging  is  to  draw  lines  across  the 
original  picture  or  design  which  is  to  be  enlarged  so  as  to  cover 
it  with  small  squares.  Squares  of  a  larger  size  are  then  drawn 
on  the  show  card  upon  which  the  enlarged  sketch  is  to  be  made. 
The  lines  should  be  drawn  lightly  with  a  soft  pencil  so  that 
they  can  be  easily  erased  when  the  enlargement  is  finished.  To 
illustrate  this  method  more  clearly,  it  may  be  assumed  that  a 
drawing  of  a  saddle  horse  is  to  be  enlarged  to  about  9  by  15  in. 
or  more  in  size  for  a  card  advertising  riding  clothes  in  a  tailor's 
window  display.     A  post  card  photograph  of  a  horse  may  be 


Fig.  170.— Stencil  knife  with  brass  removable  ferrule  and  double  edge. 

used  for  making  the  enlargement.  The  photograph  may  be  ruled 
with  lines  at  intervals  of  half  an  inch  each  way  or  even  a 
smaller  distance  so  as  to  cover  it  with  half-inch  squares,  or 


filMPLE  DE8fGXS  JX  COLOR 


179 


whatever  size  is  most  desirable.  Since  the  enlargement  is  to  be 
three  times  as  wide  and  three  times  as  long  as  the  postal,  one  and 
one-half  inch  squares  should  be  ruled  on  the  larger  sheet.     After 


Nssowgn^^n?^ 


Vui.    180.— Stencil  cut-out. 

the  squares  are  completed,  it  is  not  a  difficult  process  to  lay  out 
roughly  the  freehand  sketch,  drawing  a  square  at  a  time.  De- 
tails should  be  avoided,  and,  if  it  is  desired  to  simplify  the  draw- 
ing as  much  as  possible,  the  enlargement  may  be  colored  in  a  flat 
tone,  making  a  silhouette  picture  of  the  hoi'se.  Drawing  a  high- 
light here  and  there  and  a  few  suggestive  details  where  they 


O 


0 


liiiiuimi.i  I 


iiiii'r^%im&s] 


r 


i^^M,  *  <  I 


■iiciu^im 


■ 


0 


O 


Fig.  181. — A  show  card  and  the  cut-out  used  In  making 

duplicates. 

will  count  for  most  will  make  the  illustration  very  attractive 
without  making  a  difficult  task  of  the  enlargement. 

91.  Out-outs  and  Stencils. — Cut-outs  and  stencils  are  often 
used  when  the  same  lettering  is  repeated  on  a  large  number  of 
cards,  as  is  often  the  case  with  dealers'  namas  and  trade-marks. 
These  cut-outs  and  stencils  are  cut  from  heavy  manilla  or  stencil 
paper  with  a  sharp  knife  or  safety  razor  blade.  A  special  stencil 
knife  is  shown  in  Fig.  179.  Stencil  paper  may  be  purchased  in 
sheets  about  the  size  of  bristol  board  or  the  card  writer  may 


180  snow  CAIN}  WRITIXO 

prepare  his  own  paper  by  coating  heavy  paper  with  linseed  oil 


Fig.  182.— a  knife  for  cutting  and  beveling 
cardboard. 

and  then  allowing  it  to  dry  for  a  day.  After  the  paper  has  dried, 
the  dpsign  may  ho  marked  on  the  paper  with  a  hard  pencil  and 
then  cut  out  along  the  pencil  lines,  Fig.  180.     The  ties  should  be 


f 


Bevel 


Fig.  183. — A  mat  knife  and  five  different  stj'les  of  blades  with 

which  it  may  be  fitted. 

located  where  they  will  mar  the  appearance  of  the  letter  the 
least.  A  short,  stiff  bristle  brush  is  used  in  stencilling,  the  color 
being  applied  to  the  tip  of  the  brush  which  is  pounced  up  and 
down  on  the  card.  The  paint  should  be  thick  enough  so  that  it 
will  not  run  underneath  the  stencil. 


II 


SIMPLE  DESIGNS  IN  COLOR 


181 


Cut-outs,  Fig.  181,  are  used  when  the  space  occupied  by  a  word 
or  line  is  to  be  repeated  on  several  cards.  A  pencil  outline  is 
made  by  running  the  pencil  along  the  inside  edge  of  the  cut-out, 
thus  doing  away  with  making  guide  lines  with  the  T-square. 

92.  Mat  Knife.— A  mat  knife,  Fig.  182,  is  simply  a  strong 
knife  fitted  with  a  removable  blade  and  used  for  cutting  beveled 
edges  around  the  openings  or  sides  of  heavy  mat  board.  Mat 
board  is  used  extensively  in  making  frames  for  cards  already 
lettered.  Such  frames  are  effective,  especially  when  the  cards 
and  the  mat  frames  contrast  with  each  other  in  color  and  finish. 


Fig.  184. — An  unusual  card  panel  made  possi- 
ble by  the  use  of  a  mat  knife. 

Another  type  of  mat  knife  is  shown  in  Fig.  183.  This  is  a 
special  knife  which  can  be  fitted  with  any  of  the  five  different 
styles  of  blades  shown.  For  different  classes  of  work  dift'erent 
styles  of  blades  are  often  preferred,  although  some  card  writers 
use  but  one  style  for  practically  all  classes  of  work. 

The  designs  shown  in  Figs.  184  and  185  suggest  the  possibili- 
ties of  the  use  of  a  mat  knife  in  cutting  cardboard  in  unusual 
shapes.  Special  designs  are  kept  in  stock  by  dealers,  but  they 
may  be  cut  also  by  the  card  writer  himself.  These  designs  may 
be  fitted  with  removable  panels  so  that  the  lettering  may  be 
changed  and  the  old  cut-out  frame  still  used. 

93.  Air  Brushes  and  Atomizers. — When  stencils  or  cut-outs 
are  used,  an  air  brush  or  atomizer  is  often  substituted  for  the 
stipple  brush.  The  paint  is  sprayed  on  the  cardboard  and  the 
flow  of  color  regulated  so  as  to  make  the  spray  coarse  or  fine. 
Air  brushes  are  also  used  for  making  tinted  backgrounds.  Many 
decorative  effects  can  be  made  with  an  air  brush,  but  not  all  of 
them  are  in  good  taste. 


II 


' 


182 


SHOW  CARD  WRrTING 


The  air  brush  itself,  Fig.  186,  is  a  pencil-shaped  tube  to  which 
is  fastened  a  small  bottle  or  cup  containing  the  color  used.    Air 


P 

o 


C3 


c 

D 

be 

a 

1c 
a 
E 

m 
u 

03 

b 

4-1 
« 


o 
(S 


O 


is  forced  through  the  ' '  brush ' '  by  means  of  a  rubber  tube  leading 
from  a  pressure  tank.  The  pressure  in  the  tank  may  be  supplied 
by  a  foot  pump,  Fig.  187,  a  hand  pump,  Fig.  188,  an  electric  com- 
pressor, Fig.  189,  or  a  liquid  carbonic  gas  outfit.  The  foot  pump 
which  is  intended  for  home  use  or  occasional  ase  of  an  air  brush 
for  short  periods  will  supply  a  pressure  of  40  lb.  without  undue 
exertion.     The  hand  pump  shown  has  a  double  cylinder  pump 


SIMPLE  DESIGNS  IN  COLOR 


183 


and  will  fill  an  8  gal.  tank  to  a  pressure  of  40  to  60  lb.  in  a 
few  minutes.    The  electric  compressors  are  operated  by  elec- 


ANOGuioe 


FiNGUl  LtVtR 

NC  Adjucting  Scttew 


Color 
Cur  Stem 


Fig.  186. — Paasche  air  brush,  model  D. 


tricity  from  a  lighting  or  power  circuit,  and  can  be  regulated 
to  stop  running  when  the  desired  pressure  is  reached.    The  liquid 


Fig.  187. — Foot  pump  and 
air  tank. 


Fig.  188. — Double  cylinder 
hand  pump. 


carbonic  gas  compressors  are  the  same  as  those  used  at  soda 
fountains.  The  drums  are  recharged  with  gas  by  companies 
which  make  a  business  of  giving  this  service. 


184 


.SIIOW-CAIW  WRlTiyu 


The  brush  is  operated  by  the  compressed  air  which  blows  the 
color  out  in  the  form  of  a  spray.  The  spray  is  regulated  by  au 
adjustment  on  the  brush  and  the  feed  controlled  by  a  throttle  on 
the  side  of  the  brush.  The  air  brush  requires  a  pressure  of  20 
to  40  lb.  of  air  to  operate  properly.  With  very  light  liquids  20 
to  30  lb.  pressure  is  all  that  is  required ;  with  heavier  liquids  a 
pres.sure  up  to  40  lb.  is  often  necessary.  If  a  foot  or  hand 
pump  is  used,  it  should  register  a  pressure  of  30  lb.  before 
the  work  is  started.  Regardless  of  what  type  of  pressure  ap- 
paratus is  to  be  used,  the  hose  should  be  cleaned  out  by  pressure 
before  connecting  it  to  the  brush  itself  as  new  tubes  contain  a 


Fig.    180. — Air    brush    boins    useil    with 
an  electric  air  compressor. 

certain  amount  of  talcum,  and  tubes  that  have  been  used  may 
contain  dust  and  dirt  that  are  likely  to  clog  the  brush. 

The  air  hose  leading  from  the  tank  is  pushed  on  over  the  nipple 
of  the  hose  connection,  Fig.  186.  The  color  may  be  put  either  in 
a  metal  cup  or  in  a  color  bottle.  A  cup  may  be  used  when  the 
quantity  of  color  required  is  small.  When  several  colors  are  to 
be  used  on  the  card,  separate  cups  and  bottles  are  convenient  and 
preferable  to  using  the  same  cup  all  the  time.  The  color  should 
be  clean  and  free  from  lint  or  dirt.  Both  the  metal  cup  and  the 
color  bottle  reservoirs  are  fitted  wdth  strainers  to  prevent  the 
brush  from  becoming  clogged. 

The  brush  is  held  in  the  hand  in  much  the  same  wav  as  one 

« 

holds  a  pencil,  Fig.  189.  The  index  finger  is  placed  on  the  finger 
lever,  Fig.  186.  Pressing  this  lever  straight  downward  releases 
the  air,  and  rocking  it  backwards  releases  the  color  which  issues 
from  the  air  cap  in  the  form  of  mist.     When  the  lever  is  pushed 


SIMPLE  DEtiiayH  IN  COLOR 


185 


straight  downward  and  not  pushed  backward,  the  brush  will  make 
a  line.  This  line  may  be  made  coarse  or  fine  by  turning  the  line 
adjusting  screw.  Turning  this  screw  to  the  left  increases  the  flow 
of  color  and  turning  it  to  the  right  decreases  it.  The  screw  should 
be  kept  adjusted  so  that  the  brush  will  start  with  a  fine  line  when 
the  lever  is  pushed  downward,  after  which,  when  the  lever  is 
pushed  backward,  a  greater  flow^  of  color  will  be  admitted  accord- 
ingly. When  the  brush  is  held  about  an  eighth  of  an  inch  from 
the  card  a  sharp  line  Avill  result,  the  widest  spray  resulting  when 
the  brush  is  held  about  four  inches  away. 

To  become  expert  at  working  an  air  brush,  daily  practice  is 


Fig.  15)0. — Blow  pipe  atomizer  ami  its  operation. 

necessary.  Such  practice  should  consist  of  continual  operation 
of  the  lever  until  the  card  writer  is  able  to  produce  any  line  or 
shade  desired.  Further  practice  may  be  given  to  such  work  as 
using  the  brush  with  masks  or  stencils  and  blowing  the  spray 
over  the  edge  of  a  piece  of  cardboard  slightly  elevated  from  the 
surface  of  the  card.  This  last  procedure  will  result  in  a  tint 
with  a  fairly  sharp  edge  near  the  cardboard  mask,  the  tint  be- 
coming lighter  as  it  recedes  from  the  mask. 

The  brush  should  be  cleaned  before  it  is  put  away  rather  than 
left  in  the  cup  when  the  brush  is  not  being  used.  The  eaiiiest 
way  to  clean  the  brush  is  to  blow  water,  turpentine,  benzine, 
or  paint  remover  through  it.  Keeping  the  brush  clean  is  very 
important  as  most  brush  troubles  are  due  to  the  lack  of  a  thor- 
ough cleaning  as  soon  as  the  work  is  done. 

An  atomizer  produces  an  effect  similar  to  that  produced  by  an 
air  brush.     It  may  be  of  the  common  type,  where  the  pressure  is 


I 


I 


I 


186 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


made  with  a  rubber  bulb,  or  a  blow  pipe  may  be  used  instead, 
Fig.  190. 

Sometimes,  when  a  stencil  sheet  is  used  in  connection  with  an 
air  brush,  it  is  tilted  slightly  above  the  paper  and  the  color 
sprayed  over  the  edge  of  the  stencil,  producing  a  faint,  cloudy 
background  above  the  edge  of  the  stencil.  Tinted  backgrounds 
are  often  used  in  connection  with  stencils  and  are  usually  made 


♦I 


I 


Fia.  191. — Artistic  stencil  design  made  In 
flat   tones  with  an  air  brush. 

by  this  method.  The  poster,  Fig.  191,  shows  to  what  extent  an 
air  brush  and  stencil  can  be  used  in  producing  a  very  artistic 
background.  Another  example.  Fig  192,  showing  a  landscape 
drawn  with  an  air  brush,  indicates  the  possibilities  of  air  brush 
work  when  it  is  skillfully  handled. 

Ordinary  show-card  colors  should  be  thinned  before  they  are 
used  in  an  air  brush  or  atomizer.  Special  colors  are  also  manu- 
factured, the  liquid  being  of  such  a  nature  as  not  to  clog  the 
brush.  In  connection  with  the  use  of  these  colors,  a  special  rack 
or  holder,  Fig.   193,  is  convenient.     The  rack  shown  holds  a 


mMPLE  DESIGNS  JN  COLOR 


187 


dozen  bottles  of  color.  Each  bottle  has  a  gla*ss  filler  which  may 
be  used  to  fill  the  color  cup  of  the  air  brush,  or  the  bottle  itself 
may  be  attached  to  the  brush.    The  glass  filler  fits  snugly  in  the 


Fig.  192. — Landscape  poster  made 
with    an    air    brush. 


cap  of  the  bottle  so  that  dust  will  not  get  into  the  color  nor 
the  color  dry  out. 

94.    Work  Table. — The  work  table  should  be  located  ^vhere 
there  is  plenty  of  good  light,  next  to  a  window  if  passible.     If 


Fig.    UHi.— Metal    rack    for   holding   air 
brush    colors. 

the  window  is  on  the  south  side  of  the  building,  an  awning  is 
necessary,  otherwise  the  glare  of  the  light  upon  the  work  will 
be  too  hard  on  the  eyes. 

Card  writers  generally  prefer  a  slanting  surface  for  the  work 
table,  as  a  flat  surface  necessitates  stooping  over  the  work,  caus- 
ing the  shoulders  and  neck  to  become  strained.    Upright  easels, 


I 


188 


snowr.iiw  wRTTixa 


li 


Fig.  194,  are  used  for  high-elass  work  where  painted  designs  and 
figures  are  used  to  embellish  heavy  cards.  These  easels  are  not 
at  all  suited,  however,  to  ordinary  lettering.  The  cardboard  is 
placed  vertically  on  the  stationary  ledge  and  held  in  place  by 
the  cleat  which  slides  up  and  down  the  support.    The  easel  may 


Fig.  194. — Upright  easel  for  high- 
class  work  on  heavy  card- 
l»oard. 

be  tilted  slightly  forward  or  backward.     Ordinary  light  easels 
are  not  steady  enough  to  be  practicable. 

For  a  sitting  position,  a  table  like  that  shown  in  Fig.  195  is 
better  than  an  easel.  This  table  may  be  raised  or  lowered  to  any 
suitable  height  and  tilted  to  almast  any  angle.  An  extension  arm 
supports  a  drawer  in  which  the  brashes,  colors,  or  any  other 
material  may  be  kept.    A  water  glass  or  jar  of  brushes  may  be 


SIMPLE  DEi>!iaM^  IN  COLOR 


189 


placed  on  top.  In  addition,  there  is  a  ledge  at  the  top  of  the 
drawing  board  on  which  materials  in  use  may  be  placed  con- 
veniently. 


\ 


Fig.  195. — Drawing  table  with  a  drawer, 
a  tray  on  a  swinging  arm.  and  a 
shelf  at  the  top  of  the  drawing 
board. 

In  case  the  operator  stands  at  his  work  while  lettering,  a  table 
like  that  in  Fig.  196  is  suitable.  The  drawer  underneath  the 
drawing  board  may  be  used  for  storing  cardboard,  and  the  tray 


Fig.  lOG. — Drawing  table  with  a  swing  (ray 
and  drawer,  a  cabinet,  and  a  foot 
rest. 

on  the  extension  arm  for  holding  the  brushes  and  colors.  A  cabi- 
net at  the  back  furnishes  storage  space  for  brushes,  colors,  air 
brush,  orders,  and  pencils.  The  foot  rest  aids  in  making  the 
working  position  comfortable. 


II 


m 


190 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


95. .  Stock  of  Prepared  Cards. — Stencils  are  not  only  used 
for  making  trade-marked  cards  but  for  decorations  which  are 
suggestive  of  the  various  seasons  of  the  year.  Cards  decorated 
in  sucli  a  manner  may  be  made  up  in  slack  seasons  and  kept  on 
file  to  fill  calls  for  cards  of  this  nature. 

Cards  prepared  in  advance  for  special  calls  may  be  stored  in 


Fig.  197. — Cabinet  with  shallow  drawers  for  storing 
both    blank    and    finished    show    cards. 

filing  cabinets,  Fig.  197.  These  cabinets  are  fitted  with  large 
drawers  which  may  be  divided  into  partitions  so  that  any  stand- 
ard size  of  card  may  be  accommodated,  making  it  possible  to  keep 
both  blank  and  prepared  cards  where  they  will  not  become  soiled 
or  warped.  On  the  outside  of  each  drawer  there  is  a  space  pro- 
vided for  labels,  such  as  ''Holidays,''  ''Remnant  Sales,''  "Sea- 
sonal Cards,"  "Mat  Board,"  "Cut-outs,"  or  any  other  label. 

A  fall  announcement  card  on  which  an  air  brush  was  used  is 
illustrated  in  Fig.  198.     In  Fig.  199  a  collection  of  stencils  for 


iilMPLE  DESIGN 8  IN  COLOR 


191 


Fig.  198. — Fall  an- 
nouncement card 
prepared  in  ad- 
vance and  stored 
until  needed. 


I 


Fig.   190.— Stencil    designs    for    seasonal    and    lioliday 

cards. 


/' 


I      I 


1M2 


SnOW-CARD  WRITING 


use  in  decorating  seasonal  and  holiday  cards  is  shown.  Such 
stencils  are  kept  in  stock  by  show-card  supply  houses  and  indicate 
tlie  range  of  designs  from  which  the  card  writer  may  select  ready- 
made  stencils.  A  simple  but  very  clever  and  effective  ^lemorial 
Day  announcement  is  shown  in  Fig.  200,  indicating  how  unnec- 
essary it  is  to  make  elaborate  designs.  Simple  striking  designs 
of  this  sort  catch  the  eye  more  quickly  and  make  a  more  pleasing 
impression  that  do  over-elaborate  designs. 


Fio.   200. — A    simple  but   attractive- Memorial    Day   annoimcemont. 

96.  Cooperating  with  the  Window  Dresser. — A  card  writer 
may  not  only  be  called  upon  to  make  seasonal  cards  but  to  assist 
in  painting  in  and  preparing  backgrounds  for  the  window  dresser 
when  seasonal  displays  are  being  made  up.  ]\Iuch  of  the 
material  used  in  window  displays  is  kept  in  stock  by  dealers  in 
decorating  materials,  but  even  these  must  be  made  over  and 
supplemented  at  times  with  the  help  of  the  show-card  man.  A 
Christmas  w^indow  is  shown  in  Fig.  201  in  which  much  of  the 
work  was  hand  painted,  the  border  being  wallboard  painted  wiiite, 
the  trees  green,  the  tub  red,  the  lattice  a  dull  black,  and  the  Santa 
Claus  heads  in  natural  colors.     Metallic  flitter  was  used  on  the 


/SIMPLE  DEHIGNH  IN  COLOR 


193 


trees  in  the  border  and  for  the  ornaments  on  the  trees  under- 
neath the  heads ;  metallic  ornaments  on  the  lattice ;  artificial  snow 
over  the  white  border  at  the  top  of  the  window;  and  artificial 
foliage  in  the  background. 

The  card  writer  and  the  window  display  man  have  such  a  direct 
relation  to  each  other  in  their  work  that  there  are  opportunities 
on  various  occasions  when  they  may  work  together  upon  a  special 


Fig.   201. — Holiday   window   setting  in   which   painted   backgrounds   were   used. 

display.  Even  when  the  card  writer  has  not  helped  to  prepare 
the  background  for  the  display,  he  should  endeavor  to  make  the 
cards  harmonize  with  the  fixtures  and  merchandise  in  the  win- 
dow. Some  stores  go  so  far  as  to  make  all  the  window  cards  on 
display  at  one  time  of  the  same  color  throughout.  Even  the  size 
of  the  card  is  sometimes  prescribed  so  that  there  will  be  unity  and 
harmony  in  all  of  the  windows.  It  is  evident,  then,  that  the  card 
writer  has  quite  a  share  in  the  responsibility  of  making  the  win- 
dow display  a  success. 


CHAPTER  IX 

DESIGNING  CARDS  IN  SEVERAL  COLORS 
THE  USE  OF  TEMPERA 

"Color  properly  used  can  influence  us, 
set  the  stages  in  our  mind,  predispose  us 
in  favor  of  the  commodity  advertised, 
and  aid  considerably  in  punching;  home 
the  sale." 

F.  B.  Harrington  in 
"Signs  of  the  Times." 

97.  Difficulty  of  Complicated  Color  Schemes. — Complicated 
color  schemes  are  too  difficult  for  a  beginner  to  use.  Many  card 
writers  never  use  any  but  the  simplest  of  color  schemes,  partly 
because  a  simple  color  scheme  is  forceful  and  effective,  and  partly 
because  few  of  them  are  interested  in  studying  color  schemes  of 
more  than  average  difficulty.  This  should  not  prevent  the  be- 
jjinner  from  studying  color  schemes  in  several  colors,  however. 
The  progress  made  in  the  show-card  field  in  the  last  few  years 
demands  a  better  understanding  of  color  if  one  is  to  keep  abreast 
with  the  leaders  in  show-card  designing.  The  beginner  should 
understand  thoroughly  the  use  and  abuse  of  color  and  train  him- 
self to  handle  several  colors  successfully  in  a  color  scheme,  should 
he  ever  have  occasion  to  use  more  than  two  or  three  colors. 

98.  Making  Colors  "Talk." — When  several  colors  are  used 
on  a  single  card,  one  of  the  colors  should  predominate,  all  vary- 
ing somewhat  in  the  amount  used.  They  should  vary  in  impor- 
tance just  as  different  words  vary  in  emphasis  in  a  conversation. 
Wlien  the  color  scheme  is  dull  and  monotonous,  the  colors  re- 
semble words  mumbled  in  conversation.  When  the  colors  are 
clear  and  interesting,  though  not  loud  nor  strong  in  tone,  they 
are  like  conversation  carried  on  in  clear  tones  but  not  in  a  high 
pitched  voice. 

Certain  effects  are  produced  when  certain  colors  are  empha- 
sized. Dainty  colors  should  predominate  when  toilet  articles, 
fancy  dress  goods,  or  garments  for  babies  and  small  children  are 
displayed,  but  such  colors  are  not  suitable  for  advertising  heavy 
articles  like  tools,  storage  batteries,  or  repair  kits.     It  is  evident, 

195 


'V 


\'M\ 


snow-cAifr)  wRiTixo 


.' 


:i 


' . ' 


1*' 

I, 

4  ' 


then,  that  the  colors  should  be  selected  with  due  regard  to  their 
appropriateness  in  relation  to  the  goods  advertised  as  well  as  to 
their  harmony  with  one  another.  Too  often  colors  are  selected 
for  their  ''flash"  or  ** punch"  without  any  regard  to  what  is  on 
sale  or  what  is  being  said  on  the  card.  The  color  scheme,  there- 
fore, should  be  given  sufficient  thought  and  care  so  that  the  color, 
the  wording,  and  the  merchandise  agree  with  one  another  in  their 
essential  characteristics. 

99.  Choosing  the  Right  Colors. — There  is  a  difference  be- 
tween choasing  colors  that  harmonize  with  each  other  and  choos- 
ing colors  which  are  appropriate  to  advertising  the  merchandise. 
This  does  not  mean  that  inharmonious  colors  may  be  justified  be- 
cause of  their  advertising  value.  On  the  contrary,  it  means  that 
the  colors  must  harmonize  with  each  other  as  well  as  produce  a 
pleasing  mental  impression  and  reaction  on  the  part  of  the 
reader,  as  far  as  his  attitude  towards  purchasing  the  goods  on 
sale  is  concerned. 

Colors  produce  subtle  and  unconscious  effects  upon  the  mind 
of  any  one  seeing  them.  While  almost  every  one  has  a  vague 
idea  of  what  these  effects  are,  it  is  usually  necessary  for  the  card 
writer  to  study  these  impressions  if  he  wishes  to  make  a  practical 
application  of  color  effects. 

In  considering  color  effects,  the  three  primary  colors  naturally 
come  to  mind  first.  Red  is  no  doubt  the  most  vigorous  of  all  the 
colors,  while  yellow  may  be  made  vigorous  by  contrasting  it  with 
black  or  some  other  dark  color.  Standing  alone,  yellow  does  not 
have  the  fiery  strength  that  is  found  in  red.  The  effect  of  red  is 
that  of  excitement  and  cheer.  A  good  example  of  the  effect  of 
red,  still  further  emphasized  by  being  set  off  by  black,  is  given  in 
the  Christmas  design,  Fig.  202.  If  red  is  overdone,  however,  it 
irritates  and  fatigues.  Yellow  is  a  color  having  brightness  and 
luster  and  gives  the  cheering  effect  of  light  without  the  fatigue 
and  irritation  that  are  characteristic  of  flaming  red.  Blue  in- 
duces the  impression  of  quiet  and  rest,  and  carries  with  it  an 
atmosphere  of  dignity  and  serious  thought. 

Brown  is  also  dignified  and  serious,  but  it  has  less  animation 
in  its  effect  than  blue.  We  not  only  speak  of  "feeling  blue"  but 
we  also  speak  of  having  a  **dark  brown"  taste.  While  these  ex- 
pressions exaggerate  the  quality  of  these  colors,  they  emphasize 
the  fact  that  both  blue  and  brown  are  sober  colors.    A  comparison 


TJIICE 


Fig.   202. — Christmas   design    in   color. 
(Courtesy  of  F.  K.  Ferenz,  N.  T.) 


Pig.  203. — New  Year's  design  in  color. 
(Courtesy  of  P.  K.  Ferenz,  N.  T.) 


CARD,S  Jy  SEVERAL  COLORH  197 

of  cards  with  blue  or  brown  mats  framing  a  light  colored  panel 
with  cards  having  bright  red  mats  framing  similar  panels  of 
lettering,  would  convince  any  one  of  the  wide  difference  between 
these  more  sober  colors  and  red.  A  red  card  in  a  display  window 
catches  the  eye  more  quickly  than  the  display  iteelf,  but  this  is 
not  always  desirable. 

Purple  is  a  combination  of  red  and  blue,  the  animation  /)f  the 
red  being  neutralized  by  the  blue.  When  red  and  jrelfow  are 
mixed,  producing  orange,  a  combination  of  brightness  with  ex- 
citement results,  although  the  mixture  of  these  two  colors  has  the 
effect  of  somewhat  neutralizing  rather  than  intensifying^  these 
characteristics.  Orange  may  be  characterized  as  a  ''friendly" 
color,  its  lightness  and  brightness  making  it  a  color  with  an 
excellent  capacity  for  catching  the  eye. 

A  long  list  of  all  the  characteristics  and  mental  impressions 
produced  by  colors  might  be  made  but  enough  has  been  said  to 
Illustrate  the  fact  that  various  colors  produce  various  effects  on 
the  mind. 

To  illustrate  the  advantage  of  making  the  right  selection  of 
color  in  advertising,  the  following  cases  will  serve  as  examples. 

A  fashionable  tea  room  which  serves  hot  chocolate  and  cake  in 
the  afternoon  wishes  to  make  an  announcement  of  this  in  the 
window.     The  window  has  a  walnut  paneled  background,  givin- 
It  a  rich,  pleasing  appearance.     To  place  a  pure  white  half-sheet 
of  bristol  board  in  this  window  with  a  red  headline  "Hot  Choco- 
late" at  the  top  and  underneath  in  dark  blue  Italic  letters  the 
words  ''3  to  5  Afternoons"  would  give  the  impression  that  the 
aristocratic  tea  room  had  changed  hands  and  was  being  managed 
by  someone  who  had  made  a  success  of  handling  soda  water  con- 
cessions at  carnivals  and  fairs.     To  carry  out  the  true  spirit  of 
the  pface  a  light  fawn-colored  panel  mounted  on  an  autumn- 
brown  mat  one-eighth  or  one-sixteenth  of  a  sheet  in  size  and  let- 
tered  with  dark  sepia  letters  would  be  appropriate.     If  a  dash 
of  color  seemed  necessary  against  the  walnut  paneling  in  the 
background,  a  dark  blue  or  mottled  gray  mat  with  light  colored 
panel  might  be  used  instead. 

As  a  contrasting  example,  a  jeweler  has  some  loud-ringing 
alarm  clocks  which  he  wishes  to  display  in  his  window.  There 
is  a  large  demand  for  these  clocks  as  the  store  is  located  in  an 
industrial  city  where  hundreds  of  men  find  it  necessary  to  rise 


198 


SIiO\\  (  AUD   Wh'lTIXG 


CARDS  IX  SEVERAL  COLORS 


199 


promptly  to  get  to  the  shops  on  time  in  the  morning.  Bright 
startling  eoloi*s  would  seem  to  be  a  good  choice  to  use  in  the  win- 
dow advertising.  Instead  of  using  a  mat  board  of  soft,  dull  tones 
a  smooth  erlsp  railroad  board  of  cream  or  light  yellow  might  be 
more  suitable.  The  lettering  might  be  done  in  black  with  the 
headline  in  vertical  letters  and  the  rest  in  Italics.  A  narrow 
dark  yellow  or  an  orange  band  might  be  drawn  around  the  panel 
of  lettering,  the  card  trimmed  off  to  the  yellow  band  and  then 
appliqued  to  a  larger  sheet  of  red  railroad  board  so  that  there 
would  bo  a  red  border  of  half  an  inch  or  more  showing  all  around 
the  card.  The  whole  card  should  not  be  larger  than  an  ordinary 
book  cover  as  a  half-sheet  card  or  even  a  quarter  of  a  sheet  w^ould 
be  too  large  in  proportion  to  the  alarm  clocks  in  the  display. 
Some  stores  regulate  the  size  of  display  cards,  such  standards  as 
one-eighth  sheet  size  being  selected  for  counter  or  table  use,  and 
still  smaller  cards  for  such  wares  as  jewelry,  china,  toilet  goods, 

and  bric-a-brac. 

With  these  two  extreme  examples  in  mind,  it  is  easy  to  see  that 
the  color  of  the  cardboard,  and  also  its  texture,  weight,  size,  and 
proportion  have  a  great  deal  to  do  with  suggesting  the  right  or 
wrong  atmosphere  for  the  card  and  the  display. 

As  an  experiment  to  demonstrate  the  result  of  graying  colors, 
a  yellow  card  might  be  lettered  with  dark,  intense  purple  letters. 
Then,  selecting  a  duller-toned  card  of  a  yellow  cast  and  graying 
the  purple  color  somewhat,  a  duplicate  card  might  be  lettered  and 
the  results  compared.  The  first  would  show  a  decided  contrast 
between  the  two  colors,  and  the  second  a  much  less  startling  and 
a  correspondingly  more  refined  impression.  To  set  off  the  word- 
ing well  on  any  card  the  color  of  the  background  should  always 
be  more  subdued  than  the  color  used  for  the  letters.  The  size  of 
the  card  should  also  be  considered,  for  the  larger  the  card  the 
less  intense  the  color  should  be.  Small  cards  accommodate  purer 
colors  than  large  cards  without  so  great  a  sacrifice  of  quality  and 

refinement. 

The  tendency  at  the  present  time  is  toward  a  better  apprecia- 
tion of  color  by  both  the  public  and  the  card  designer.  It  is  quite 
probable  that  the  intense  and  startling  colors  which  now  seem  to 
be  the  choice  for  show  cards  will  give  way  to  softer  and  more 
delicate  effects.  In  anticipation  of  such  a  tendency,  the  neutral- 
izing and  subduing  of  colors  should  be  studied  so  as  to  keep  down 


the  harsh  and  glaring  result  of  using  pure  color  just  as  it  comes 
from  the  jar. 

100.  Suggestions  to  Beginners. — Beginners  feel  a  strong 
temptation  to  use  several  colors  on  a  card,  but  they  will  find  it 
wise  not  to  attempt  elaborate  color  schemes  until  they  are  familiar 
with  schemes  using  only  one  or  two  colors.  Elaborate  color 
schemes  are  too  difficult  to  be  used  in  the  earlier  period  of  one's 
training  in  show-card  writing. 

The  first  aim  should  be  to  become  familiar  with  the  funda- 
mental principles  of  color.  In  order  to  do  this  one  should  not 
be  content  with  reading  about  these  fundamentals  and  with 
analyzing  cards  in  which  colors  are  used,  but  should  practice 
making  original  color  schemes,  for  it  is  by  practice  rather  than 
by  reading  that  one  becomas  adept  at  iLsing  colors. 

The  first  color  schemes  used  should  be  simple  and  in  colors  with 
which  the  beginner  is  familiar.  I  Jiusual  tints  and  shades  should 
be  left  until  he  is  more  capable  of  handling  them. 

Suggestions  for  the  selection  of  colors  may  be  found  in  some  of 
the  simple  color  schemes  used  in  magazine  advertisements,  post- 
ers, and  billboards.  It  is  good  practice  to  jot  down  these  sug- 
gestions in  a  notebook  and  follow  them  in  making  cards. 

For  show-card  purposes  two  colors  are  usually  enough  to  use, 
although  there  is  a  growing  tendency  to  use  more.  For  good 
results  in  two  colors,  one  color  may  be  used  in  the  headline  and 
the  other  in  the  body  of  the  card.  The  cardboard  may  be  white 
or  it  may  be  of  some  unobtrusive  tone  suitable  for  a  background. 
If  the  background  is  too  prominent,  the  lettering  will  not  stand 
out  as  it  should.  Kough,  mottled,  linen,  or  eggshell  finishes  on  a 
card  will  improve  its  appearance  in  most  cases. 

Colors  may  be  used  for  embellishing  the  background.  One 
method  is  to  rub  the  surface  of  the  card  with  dry  colors.  These 
colors  are  not  rubbed  on  in  a  solid  tone  all  over  the  card  but  in 
touches  here  and  there,  a  soft  cloth  being  used.  Sometimes  sev- 
eral colors  are  used,  producing  a  pearl-like  luster.  Such  an  effect 
is  soft  and  cloudy  and  resembles  air-brush  work.  Cards  with 
a  similar  finish  may  be  purchased  ready  for  use,  thus  avoiding 
the  necessity  of  making  up  finishes. 

101.  Schemes  in  Three  Colors. — It  is  a  good  plan  to  work  out 
a  number  of  color  schemes  and  keep  them  in  an  album  for  future 
reference,  or  jot  them  down  in  the  form  of  tables.     A  table  of  a 


200 


SnOW-CAlfD  WRITINO 


I 


li 


number  of  suitable  three-color  schemes  is  g:iven  below.  The 
schemes  in  pure  colors,  such  as  the  red,  blue,  and  yellow,  should 
be  toned  down  to  keep  the  arrangement  from  being  too  harsh  and 
glaring. 


Red,  blue,  and  yellow. 

Orange,  green,  and  violet. 

Purple,  yellow,  and  gray-green. 

Orange,  gray-blue,  and  eream  color. 

Orange-red,  dark  blue-green,  and  dark  yellowish  green. 

Brown,  blue,  and  gold. 

Yellow,  black,  and  gold. 


Similar  lists  may  be  made  by  any  observant  person  who  will  take 
the  time  to  study  colored  advertisements  or  the  cards  in  the  store 
windows. 

It  i.s  well  to  make  a  note  also  of  the  area  over  which  the  color 
is  used.  The  New  Year's  design,  Fig.  203,  contains  three  colors, 
red,  green,  and  black,  which  are  given  well  proportioned  areas. 
The  effect  of  red  and  green  employed  together  is  noticeable,  the 
panel  of  black  setting  off  the  red  and  the  green  even  more  than 
would  have  been  the  case  if  no  black  had  been  used  and  the  card 
had  been  left  white  over  the  entire  background.  Sometimes 
colors  do  not  appear  well  together  because  some  one  color  has 
been  given  too  much  space.  A  card  is  often  improved  by  chang- 
ing the  area  over  which  certain  colors  are  used,  without  making 
any  change  in  the  colors  used  in  the  scheme. 

Identification  of  color  schemes  should  be  practiced  until  one  is 
able  to  recognize  at  sight  what  kind  of  color  scheme  is  used, — 
analogous,  complementary,  or  a  color  triad.  Constant  practice  is 
as  necessary  in  color  selection  as  it  is  in  anything  else  connected 
with  card  writing. 

102.  Trouble  with  Show-card  Colors. — The  difficulty  in  mak- 
ing suitable  selections  for  color  schemes  is  only  one  of  the  prob- 
lems in  manipulating  colors.  Card  writers  often  experience  a 
great  deal  of  annoyance  and  delay  in  their  work  by  the  puzzling 
behavior  of  the  color  which  is  being  used.  Color  which  works 
well  at  first  may  become  thick  and  gummy,  or  grit  may  settle  at 
the  bottom  before  the  jar  of  color  is  all  used.  Then  again  the 
color  may  dry  too  rapidly  and  thus  lack  in  consistency.  On  the 
other  hand,  some  colors  improve  with  age. 

When  colors  have  been  allowed  to  stand  for  some  time  they 


CAHD8  IN  HFAERAL  COLORS 


201 


often  dry  out,  especially  if  they  have  been  exposed  to  the  air  or 
left  uncovered.  Most  colors  are  unfit  for  use  after  they  have 
once  hardened.  Other  colors  may  be  soaked  in  water  and  stirred 
until  the  liquid  is  smooth,  adding  a  little  mucilage  as  a  binding 
medium,  when  the  color  will  be  workable  again.  It  must  be  re- 
membered, however,  that  not  all  colors  can  be  restored  to  useful- 
ness after  they  have  hardened  to  a  cake  in  the  jar. 

Color  troubles  are  understood  better  when  one  considers  what 
a  show-card  color  really  is.  Briefly  stated,  a  show-card  color  is  a 
coloring  substance,  known  as  pigment,  suspended  in  oil,  water,  or 
some  similar  liquid,  which  is  called  the  vehicle.  In  case  the  card 
writer  makes  his  own  colors  he  purchases  the  dry  colors,  the  best 
grades  being  known  as  C.P.  (chemically  pure)  dry  colors.  Since 
these  dry  colors  are  generally  gritty  or  lumpy  they  are  ground  in 
a  paint  mill  or  on  a  slab  with  a  spatula,  which  is  a  knife  with  a 

soft,  flexible  blade. 

There  are  several  liquids  in  which  color  pigments  may  be  sus- 
pended, each  with  distinct  qualities  of  its  own.  Oil  or  water  is 
used  to  give  body  to  the  color  pigment  to  make  it  paintable. 
Color  should  be  more  than  just  paintable  since  with  this  quality 
alone  it  might  not  stick  to  the  cardboard  nor  the  particles  of  pig- 
ment adhere  to  each  other.  When  the  color  has  only  paintable 
qualities,  the  pigment,  after  the  liquid  has  evaporated,  appears 
streaky  or  mottled  on  the  card  and  will  rub  off  and  smear,  black 
color  on  smooth  cardboard  being  particularly  susceptible  to  this 
fault.  It  follows,  then,  that  the  color  must  be  suspended  in  a 
liquid  which  will  make  it  stick  to  the  cardboard,  make  the  par- 
ticles of  color  hang  together,  and  at  the  same  time  allow  the  pig- 
ment to  spread  over  the  surface  smoothly  and  evenly.  In  other 
words,  the  paint  must  be  adhesive  in  order  to  stick  to  the  ground, 
cohesive  to  bind  the  particles  of  color  together,  and  elastic  to 
allow  it  to  spread  evenly.  To  meet  these  requirements  gum  ara- 
ble or  mucilage  is  used  as  an  adhesive;  honey  and  glycerine  as 
cohesives  and  also  to  keep  the  colors  soft;  and  ox-gall  or  other 
compound  to  overcome  the  oily  surface  tension  of  the  card  and 
make  the  spreading  of  the  color  easy. 

In  the  case  of  oil  colors,  slightly  different  liquids  are  used; 
namely,  vehicle,  thinner,  and  drier.  As  a  vehicle  to  give  body  to 
the  color,  linseed,  poppy,  or  some  other  oil  is  used.  For  thinning 
a  water  color,  water,  naturally,  is  used,  but  since  water  cannot 


202 


SHOWCAIW  WlilTIXG 


m 


be  used  with  an  oil  color,  turpentine  is  substituted.  Japan  is 
added  as  a  drier,  since  oil  alone  is  slow  to  dry.  Sometimes  colors 
for  show  cards  which  are  to  be  displayed  out-of-doors  are  pre- 
pared in  japan  only. 

Knowing,  then,  the  composition  of  show-card  colors  it  is  easy 
to  tell  what  is  lacking  in  case  of  trouble,  as  when  the  brush  does 
not  keep  its  shape  or  have  the  proper  pull,  or  the  color  does  not 
flow  freely,  dry  properly,  or  rubs  off. 

Colors  ground  in  water  without  any  binder  or  size  do  not  work 
so  well  as  colors  ground  with  a  binder.  The  binder  may  be  added 
after  the  color  is  ground,  but,  if  the  pigment  is  already  water- 
soaked,  the  binder  will  mix  unevenly,  with  the  result  that  when 
the  water  dries  out  of  the  paint  on  the  card,  the  color  will  be 
streaky  and  blotched  and  be  very  apt  to  rub  and  smear. 

If  colors  dry  out  or  become  too  gummy  to  use,  they  should  be 
mixed  with  water,  stirred,  and  set  aside  to  soak  and  settle.  After 
the  color  settles,  the  water  may  be  drained  off  and  the  color  mixed 
with  a  thinner.  A  thinner  may  be  made  from  a  pint  and  a  half 
of  water,  a  full  tumbler  of  mucilage,  and  enough  glycerine  to 
stand  about  half  an  inch  deep  in  the  tumbler.  If  too  much 
mucilage  is  used,  the  color  may  become  shiny  in  spots  or  mottled 
in  appearance.  Sometimes,  however,  a  glossy  paint  is  desirable. 
This  may  be  made  by  adding  syrup,  together  with  a  small  amount 
of  carbolic  acid,  to  the  color. 

Instead  of  using  water  to  thin  water  color  paints,  the  mucilage 
and  glycerine  thinner  may  be  found  preferable.  If  the  card 
writer  grinds  his  own  colors,  they  should  be  reduced  to  a  paste 
form  by  using  a  grinding  medium  consisting  of  mucilage  and 
about  10  per  cent  of  glycerine,  the  mucilage  acting  as  a  binder 
and  the  glycerine  keeping  the  color  from  drying  out. 

103.  Lettering  Inks. — It  is  impossible  to  get  the  best  results 
from  any  pen  without  the  proper  inks  or  colors.  Thin,  watery, 
transparent  inks  and  fluids  are  not  suitable ;  neither  will  thick, 
gummy,  sticky  water  color  be  productive  of  good  results.  The 
various  brands  and  makas  of  waterproof  India  or  ordinary  draw- 
ing inks  should  be  used  instead. 

When  ordinary  prepared  opaque  show-card  colors  are  used 
for  pen  work,  a  small  quantity  should  be  put  in  a  separate  jar 
and  thinned  with  a  solution  consisting  of  four  parts  water,  one 
part  alcohol,  and  a  few  drops  of  glycerine.    This  solution  should 


CAJfUti  IX  HFMCRAl.  VOLORii 


203 


be  kept  well  stirred  and  of  a  consistency  that  will  permit  it  to 
flow  easily  from  the  pen.  For  white  ink  or  opaque  colors,  this 
mixture  will  be  found  better  than  transparent  colored  inks. 
If  the  liquid  evaporates  and  becomes  too  thick,  it  should  be 
thinned  with  the  thinning  solution  just  described.  While  any 
kind  of  drawing  ink  may  be  used  with  a  Speedball  pen.  Speed- 
ball  ink,  which  is  made  especially  for  this  pen,  will  prove  the 

most  successful. 

An  excellent  white  ink  is  made  by  reducing  to  a  thick  paste 
6  oz.  of  dry  white  lead,  2  oz.  of  zinc  oxide,  a  tablespoonful  of 
Sanford's  Royal  Crown  mucilage,  ViJ  oz.  of  water,  and  a  few 
drops  each  of  alcohol  and  glycerine.  This  paste  should  be  placed 
on  a  slab  of  marble  or  glass  and  all  the  grit  and  lumps  ground 
out  with  a  spatula  or  long  thin-bladed  table  knife.  After  it  has 
been  thoroughly  ground,  it  should  be  thinned  with  water  to  a  con- 
sistency which  will  insure  free  flow  from  the  pen.  The  ink  should 
be  kept  well  stirred  and  properly  thinned.  The  pens  should  be 
rinsed  out  in  water  occasionally  to  prevent  them  from  becoming 
clogged.  In  case  they  do  become  badly  clogged,  the  color  may 
be  removed  by  brushing  them  out  in  water  with  an  old  toothbrush. 

104.  Tempera  Color. — Tempera  color  is  one  of  the  most  an- 
cient forms  of  color  paint.  It  has  been  used  extensively  for  wall 
decorations  and  paintings  by  the  modern  artists,  the  old  masters, 
and  even  the  ancients.  Its  use  in  the  workshop  of  the  card 
writer,  however,  is  quite  recent,  many  card  designers  preferring 
to  use  hand  painted  decorative  pictures  instead  of  clippings, 
using  tempera  in  many  cases.  The  collection  of  posters.  Fig.  155, 
page  155,  while  not  painted  in  tempera,  was  colored  with  a 
special  color  closely  resembling  tempera  and  approaching 
tempera  color  effects,  showing  a  soft,  rich  quality  which  would 
be  difficult  to  obtain  with  ordinary  colors. 

Tempera  differs  from  both  oil  and  water  colors  in  its  composi- 
tion and  has  characteristics  which  give  it  certain  advantages 
when  compared  with  these  other  mediums.  The  term  ''oil  col- 
ors'' is  applied  to  colors  containing  oils  together  with  resinous 
substances,  forming  a  binding  medium  which  not  only  holds  the 
color  particles  together  but  helps  to  make  them  stick  to  the  ground 
upon  which  they  are  applied.  Further,  oil  makes  the  color  paint- 
able  so  that  it  may  be  spread  easily  over  the  design.  On  the  other 
hand,  water  and  not  oil  is  used  for  thinning  and  dissolving  water 


i 


204 


unowrAiiD  wiiiTisu 


colors  so  that  they  may  be  spread  over  the  design.  Gum  arable 
or  mucilage  is  used  as  a  binder.  Tempera  differs  from  either  oil 
or  water  colors  in  that  it  uses  a  binding  medium  entirely  unlike 
that  in  either  of  them.  This  medium  is  an  emulsion,  a  mixture  of 
oil  and  water.  As  oil  and  water  will  not  actually  mix,  the  emul- 
sion is  really  an  oily  substance  broken  up  into  very  fine  particles 
and  held  together  in  the  water  by  a  mucilaginous  binder.  Milk 
is  a  common  example  of  an  emulsion,  the  butter  fat  being  united 
with  the  water  in  the  liquid  by  means  of  a  gluey  substance  called 
casein.  When  an  emulsion  dries  out,  the  water  simply  evaporates, 
air  taking  its  place. 

When  an  oil,  a  varnish,  or  a  gum  dries,  it  leaves  a  clear,  trans- 
parent spot  so  that  what  is  underneath  can  be  seen.  When  an 
emulsion  dries,  it  will  admit  light  but  what  is  underneath  cannot 
be  seen  so  clearly  as  when  oil,  varnish,  or  gum  is  used.  Since 
tempera  uses  an  emulsion  for  a  binding  medium  instead  of  an  oil, 
a  varnish,  or  a  gum,  it  differs  to  that  extent  from  oil  and  water 
colors.  Since  it  admits  light  without  being  transparent  tempera 
is,  therefore,  spoken  of  as  being  opaque ;  in  fact,  it  often  goes  by 
the  name  of  ' '  opaque. ' '  Opaque  colors  are  used  almost  altogether 
in  the  painting  of  posters. 

Density  is  another  factor  which  causes  a  color  to  be  either 
opaque  or  transparent.  If  colors  which  are  put  up  in  tubes  are 
weighed  in  the  hand,  a  variation  in  weight  is  noticed  even  though 
the  tubes  are  of  the  same  size.  It  follows,  then,  that  one  paint 
has  more  covering  capacity  than  another  because  it  is  more  dense. 
The  lighter  color  has,  however,  the  advantage  of  being  better 
adapted  for  what  is  known  as  glazing;  that  is,  painting  a  light 
coat  of  one  color  over  another  to  modify  the  effect.  Cheap  colors 
are  sometimes  so  adulterated  that  although  they  appear  to  be  of 
the  same  tone,  they  do  not  have  so  good  a  covering  capacity  as 
the  pure  color. 

Tempera  colors  are  chalky  and  will  crack  and  chip  if  they  are 
not  applied  to  the  proper  ground  or  if  they  are  in  too  pasty  a 
form.  It  is  well  to  know  this  and  to  work  accordingly.  No  one 
would  think  of  treating  oil  or  japan  color  in  the  same  way  that  a 
water  color  is  treated;  neither  should  one  handle  tempera  as 
water  color  is  handled.  If  the  difference  between  tempera  and 
water  color  is  kept  in  mind,  no  trouble  should  be  encountered. 

Tempera  colors  should  be  diluted  with  water  to  the  consistency 


/ 


CARDS  IN  SEVERAL  COLORS 


205 


of  cream.  When  a  very  porous  background  is  likely  to  absorb 
too  much  of  the  tempera,  G^g  tempera  medium  will  counteract 
the  over-absorption,  a  solution  of  one-third  water  and  two-thirds 
egg  tempera  medium  being  used  for  mixing  the  colors.  The 
brushes  may  be  washed  in  a  separate  glass  containing  clear  water. 
On  an  oil-ground  canvas  or  a  very  glossy  surface  the  whole  sur- 
face should  be  rubbed  first  with  Qgg  tempera  medium  to  cut  the 
oil  and  insure  the  color's  sticking  to  the  ground. 

When  large,  flat  tinted  areas  may  appear  monotonous,  mottled 
effects  are  used  to  give  variety  to  the  surface.  Such  effects, 
commonly  found  on  posters,  are  obtained  by  using  a  little  more 
water  in  the  color  and  laying  it  on  in  puddles  rather  than  paint- 
ing it  on  flat  witli  the  brush. 

Heavy  cardboard  or  illustration  board  is  the  most  suitable 
ground  on  which  to  use  tempera.  If  the  color  is  left  standing 
overnight,  it  should  be  covered  with  a  little  water  which  can 
later  be  drained  off.  To  compensate  for  the  effect  the  standing 
water  has  on  the  color  binder,  a  little  egg  tempera  medium  should 
be  mixed  in  with  the  color  before  it  is  used.  Camel  's-hair  brushes 
are  generally  used  with  tempera  colors  although  soft  bristle 
brushes  are  practicable  to  gain  certain  effects.  The  brushes 
should  be  washed  with  soap  and  water,  as  water  alone  will  not 
cleanse  them  thoroughly. 

Tempera  color  with  its  brilliant  mat  surface  combines  the  more 
pleasing  features  of  water  color  with  the  advantages  of  oil. 
Tempera  dries  much  more  rapidly  than  oil,  but  at  the  same  time 
it  dries  slowly  enough  to  permit  working  in  the  wet.  With  an 
increased  use  of  posters  in  display  window  work,  this  medium 
will  no  doubt  be  more  generally  used,  just  as  water  colors  sup- 
planted japan  and  oil  colors  when  show-card  writing  developed 
from  the  sign  painting  trade  into  a  special  field  by  itself. 


i 


CHAPTER  X 
DETAILS  OF  COMMERCIAL  PRACTICE 

"Realizo  that  good  lettering  in  proper 
arrangement  is  far  more  important  tlian 
flocoratlvp  stunts.  Learn  to  letter  first. 
Then  learn  the  artistic.  The  average 
beginner  makes  his  biggest  mistake  in 
attempting  the  decorative  before  being 
able  to  dot  an  *'l"  correctly. 

Wm.  Hugh  Gordon. 

105.  Sign  Cloth. — Sign  cloth  is  used  for  banners  and  out- 
door signs  when  the  sign  needed  is  too  large  to  be  placed  on  a 
card.  It  comes  in  36-in.  widths  and  can  be  procured  from  dealers 
in  sign  writing  supplies  and  from  almost  all  dry  goods  stores. 
When  an  inscription  is  to  be  lettered  on  sign  cloth,  the  cloth 
should  be  stretched  and  tacked  on  a  frame  or  wall.  The  layout 
can  then  be  sketched  in  with  charcoal  and  lettered  by  making 
the  outlines  of  the  letters  with  a  red  sable  rigger,  filling  the 
strokes  in  afterwards  with  a  flat  brush.  Water  colors  should  not 
be  used  for  outdoor  signs  as  the  color  will  run.  The  lettering  in 
Fig.  92,  page  93,  was  done  on  sign  cloth  mounted  on  frames. 

106.  Chalk  Lines. — In  making  large  signs,  such  as  those 
made  on  cloth,  a  chalk  line  is  used  for  laying  off  the  guide  lines. 
First  a  cord  is  rubbed  well  on  a  piece  of  chalk.  One  end  of  the 
cord  is  then  fastened  to  a  thumb  tack  or  wrapped  around  the 
index  finger  of  the  left  hand.  The  cord  is  pulled  taut  with  the 
right  hand,  held  flat  against  the  surface  to  be  lettered,  and 
snapped  by  plucking  it  with  one  of  the  fingers  of  the  right  hand. 
This  makes  a  straight  line  which  is  easily  dusted  off  with  a  soft 
rag. 

107.  Japan  and  Oil  Colors. — Cardboard  and  cloth  signs  for 
outdoor  displays  are  lettered  in  either  japan  or  oil  colors,  using 
turpentine  as  a  thinner.  Oil  colors  dry  so  slowly  that  japan 
drier  should  be  added  to  hasten  the  drying.  Neither  oil  nor 
japan  should  be  mixed  in  larger  amounts  than  are  needed  at  the 
time.    Japan  colors  should  be  covered  lightly  with  turpentine 

when  not  in  use.    Oil  colors  do  not  work  well  on  dull-surfaced 

207 


u. 


I 


I 


208 


SU0\V('A1{D  WRITIXa 


cards  as  the  oil  spreads.  Neither  oil  nor  japan  colors  are  used 
extensively  except  for  outdoor  signs.  A  few  years  ago,  when  the 
art  of  show-card  writing  was  in  its  infancy,  a  large  percentage 
of  the  card  signs  were  lettered  with  oil  or  japan  colors.  The 
older  show-card  writers  still  use  them,  but  in  most  shops  it  is 
generally  agreed  that  prepared  water  colors  are  more  practical 
snd  satisfactory  for  indoor  cards  at  least. 


HOOSIERCO. 

D£ALEn3  /Af 


55^ 

B&#S 

^^^ 

Fig.  204. — Butter  and  egg  price  card. 

108.  Slotted  Cards  and  Price  Markers.— Cut-outs  are  con- 
venient when  display  cards  are  made  in  which  part  of  the  wording 
is  changed  from  time  to  time.  The  permanent  lettering  may  be 
drawn  in  on  a  heavy  card  and  an  opening  cut  out  in  which  to 
place  the  announcements  which  are  to  be  changed.  Fig.  204  is 
an  example  of  a  card  prepared  for  a  grocer  for  displaying  the 
daily  prices  of  butter  and  eggs.  Slots  were  cut  through  the  card 
and  the  price  tickets  slipped  in  from  behind  so  as  to  show  through 
the  opening.     Since  a  card   of  this  nature  is  displayed  per- 


COMMEJfCfAL  PRACTICE 


209 


manently,  it  should  be  designed  more  carefully  than  ordinary 

cards. 

Price  markers  for  hats  or  for  articles  placed  on  the  counters  in 
open  boxes  are  difficult  to  display  unless  they  are  fastened  to  the 
hat  or  boxes  with  pins.     This  is  not  always  desirable.     A  better 


Fig.  205. — 
Price  marker 
with  tongue. 

method  is  to  cut  tongues  on  the  markers,  Fig.  205,  so  that  they 
may  be  inserted  underneath  the  hat-bands  or  inside  the  boxes. 

109.  Index  Hand.— Card  -writers  are  often  called  upon  to 
draw  a  hand  pointing  in  a  given  direction  or  to  some  object. 
The  making  of  this  drawing  is  much  simplified  if  it  is  first  blocked 
out  as  shown  in  Fig.  206.     The  hand  should  be  about  twice  as 


Fig.  206. — Index  hand. 

long  as  it  is  high.  After  the  length  and  the  height  are  blocked 
out,  a  vertical  line  is  drawn  in  the  center.  The  general  shape  of 
the  hand  is  then  blocked  in  and  a  slanting  line  drawn  across  the 
vertical  line  locating  the  knuckles,  and  another  line  locating  the 
cuff  at  the  extreme  left.  The  proper  slant  should  be  given  to 
the  other  lines,  for  if  these  are  drawn  too  vertically  or  too  hori- 
zontally the  result  will  appear  stiff  and  crude.  When  these 
simple  lines  are  laid  out,  they  constitute  a  framework  over  which 
it  is  easy  to  draw  the  details  of  the  hand  itself.  A  mirror  placed 
behind  the  card  writer *s  own  left  hand  will  be  a  help,  as  the 


210 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


y 


details  may  be  copied  to  a  large  extent  from  the  reticetion  of  the 
hand  in  the  mirror. 

110.  Illustrated  Cards. — Cards  are  not  only  embellished  by 
stencil  decorations,  borders,  and  brush  ornamentation  but  they 
are   illustrated   with    pictures.     One  clever  method   of  making 


Fig.    207. — A    card    iUustrated    by    silhouettes. 
(Courtesy  of  Russell  Sage  Foundation.) 

simple  hut  satisfactory  illustrations  is  to  draw  a  silhouette  of 
whatever  is  to  be  shown.  A  card  illustrated  in  this  fashion  for  a 
welfare  exhibit  is  shown  in  Fig.  207.  ^lore  often,  however,  mag- 
azine clippings  are  pasted  on  the  card  and  set  off  by  a  tinted 
background  or  some  other  decoration.  A  circle  or  rectangle 
painted  in  an  unobtrusive  flat  color  for  a  background  with  a 
strong  heavy  border  in  a  deeper  tone  is  effective  and  simple  to 
make.     Photographs  are  generally  available  for  illustrating  lobby 


COMMERCIAL  PRACTICE 


211 


212 


f^ffOW  (  Ah'D  WRITIXG 


cards  for  theaters,  and  when  they  are  used  very  striking  designs 
may  \ye  arranged. 

Fig.  208  shows  three  illustrated  theater  cards  in  which  hand 
painted  pictures  were  used  instead  of  photographs.  These  three 
pictures  represent  the  highest  type  of  theater  lob])y  show  cards 
and  indicate  the  artistic  possibilities  in  this  field. 

If  outline  pictures  cut  from  newspapers  are  used,  they 
should  be  tinted  with  transparent  Japanese  water  colors ;  other- 
wise, the  paste  will  discolor  the  paper  which  is  usually  of  a  poor 
grade  and  will  make  an  inferior  decoration  of  the  picture.  When- 
ever the  clipping  contains  a  human  figure  it  should  be  faced 
toward  the  inscription.  With  the  figure  turned  away  from  the 
lettering  ihe  eye  might  be  led  away  from  the  reading  matter 
instead  of  toward  it.  The  clipping  should  be  cut  very  carefully, 
usually  close  to  the  outline  of  the  figure  in  the  picture.  If  some 
parts  of  the  picture  are  given  a  few  strokes  of  color  with  the 
brush,  the  picture  will  have  the  appearance  of  being  painted  on 
the  card.  A  collection  should  be  made  of  clippings  from  maga- 
zines and  filed  away  so  that  a  supply  conveniently  arranged  is 
always  at  hand. 

There  is  a  growing  tendency  in  retail  stores  as  well  as  in  thea- 
ters to  substitute  painted  pictures  for  those  pasted  on  cards. 
These  painted  pictures  are  made  in  a  poster  style  like  that  in 
the  drug  store  cards  shown  in  Fig.  209,  the  colors  being  bright 
and  attractive  with  the  lettering  arranged  in  compact  groups. 
Only  one  of  these  cards  is  illustrated  with  a  clipping,  the  pictures 
for  the  others  being  hand  drawn  and  painted.  If  pictures  such 
as  these  are  well  designed,  they  are  superior  to  mounted  clippings. 

There  is  danger  of  over-doing  pictures  to  the  exclusion  of  the 
wording  of  the  card.  While  a  picture  can  tell  more  in  less  time 
than  words  can,  it  does  not  necessarily  follow  that  cards  should 
contain  no  wording  at  all  or  so  little  that  the  picture  does  all  the 
advertising.  The  drug  store  cards.  Fig.  209,  have  about  the 
proper  proportions  of  both  wording  and  illustrated  matter. 

111.  Lantern  Slides. — Lettering  slides  for  theaters  and  busi- 
ness houses  may  be  made  a  profitable  side  line,  or  exclusive  atten- 
tion may  be  given  to  this  class  of  work  where  the  demand  warrants 
it.  Slides  may  be  lettered  by  two  different  methods :  by  lettering 
directly  on  glass,  or  by  photographing  lettered  cards  and  using 
the  glass  negatives  as  slides. 


coMMi:i^('i\L  rhwrrfCE 


213 


A  lantern  slide  may  consist  of  but  one  sheet  of  i)lain  gla.ss,  the 
glass  being  uncoated,  or  coated  with  a  film  on  one  side.  Single 
glass  slides  are  seldom  used  except  for  rush  calls. 


Fig.   209. — Collection   of  illustrated  cards. 
{Courtesy  of  Owl  Drug  Co.) 

The  standard  lantern  slide,  Fig.  210,  consists  of  two  plates  of 
glass  placed  face  to  face  with  the  inner  face  of  one  of  the  plates 
coated  with  a  film.  The  glass  measures  31/4  by  4  in.,  although 
English  makes  are  not  quite  so  long.    A  black  paper  mat  is 


214 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


placed  between  the  plates.  This  mat  acts  as  a  frame  enclosing  a 
rectangular  opening  with  rounded  corners,  the  opening  being 
278  in-  long  and  from  21/8  to  2  11/16  in.  high.  The  two  plates 
of  glass  with  the  mat  between,  the  coated  side  of  the  glass  with 
the  photographic  impression  on  it  being  next  to  the  mat,  are 
bound  together  along  the  edges  by  a  special  paper  binding,  mak- 
ing the  slide  complete,  Fig.  211. 

When  lettering  is  done  directly  on  the  glass,  a  special  ink,  ob- 
tained from  lantern  slide  supply  houses,  is  used.     This  ink  is 


PAPER 
BINDING 


PK.E  SCOTT 

HOPE  EDEN 

fFi^5^   "t"' riic  here ) 


f^/*yjJlT^ 


MAT  FRAME 
PLACED 
BETWEEN 
THE  PLATES 
OF  GLASS. 


OPENING  tN 
MAT  EXPOS- 
ING   THE 
LETTERING. 


Fig.  210.— Details  of  a  lantern  slide. 

clear  and  transparent  and  will  withstand  great  heat  without 
scorching.  Only  a  small  amount  should  be  placed  on  the  pen  as 
it  evaporates  very  quickly  and  becomes  gummy  after  a  few 
strokes  have  been  made.  This  ink  works  well  on  either  coated  or 
uncoated  glass,  but  in  case  it  does  give  trouble  when  it  is  used  on 
plain  glass,  the  glass  may  be  moistened  with  saliva,  which  leaves 
a  slight  film  when  it  dries.  Ordinary  colored  inks  should  never 
be  used  as  they  are  somewhat  opaque  and  appear  dark  and  color- 
less when  thrown  on  the  screen.  India  ink  works  well  for  black 
lettering,  but  it  cannot  be  washed  off  so  easily  afterwards,  should 
it  be  necessary  to  use  the  glass  again  for  a  different  inscription. 
The  inscription  for  a  slide  should  be  lettered  first  in  pencil  on 
white  paper.     The  glass  is  next  laid  over  this  lettering,  the  coated 


' 


COMMERCIAL  PRACTICE 


215 


side  up.  Touching  it  with  the  tongue  will  indicate  the  coated 
side,  which  is  a  trifle  sticky.  The  glass  should  be  held  in  place 
ovei  the  paper  by  means  of  thumb  tacks,  care  being  taken  that  the 
stems  of  the  taeks  do  not  come  so  close  as  to  chip  the  glass.  A 
crow  (luill  !>(  n  or  some  other  very  fine  pen  should  he  used  in 
lettering  the  slide.  The  lettering  must  be  done  accurately,  as 
irregularities  are  magnified  on  the  screen.     With  a  little  prac- 


Whether  itis 

Heating 

your  House 
needs 

FOR 

le  Here  3393 


Fig.  211. — Adveitisiug  slides  made  by  the  photographic  method. 

tice,  lettering  on  glass  will  become  as  easy  as  lettering  on  card- 
board. 

The  photographic  method,  which  is  the  usual  method  followed 
where  time  permits  and  where  the  best  grade  of  work  is  desired, 
consists  of  photographing  an  inscription  which  has  been  lettered 
in  black  on  a  white  card,  Fig.  212.  In  the  negative,  the  tones  are 
reversed  from  black  letters  on  white  cardboard  to  transparent 
letters  on   a  black  background,  the  light   passing  through  the 


«{ 


I 


M 


216 


SHOW  CARD  WRITIXG 


transparent  letters  making  them  show  as  white  letters  on  the 
screen.  The  black  letters  on  the  original  card  must  be  a  deep 
coal  black  and  uniform  in  tone,  as  pale  black  letters  will  photo- 
graph grayish  and  streaked.  The  spurs  have  a  tendency  to  ap- 
pear brighter  than  the  strokes  unless  the  lettering  is  uniformly 
black.  To  color  the  letters,  a  brush  filled  with  Japanese  water  .^ 
color  or  colored  slide  ink  is  drawn  acrass  the  line  of  lettering  to 
be  tinted.  These  colors  do  not  show  over  the  dark  opaque  back- 
ground. 


'.e  MaJiOAemeKt 
this    the  aire 

extends  its  best  wishes 

^J(r.Johi  Umidi 

in  tlie  Openin|  and  pperatioit 
of      Ills     new 

BLUE  MOUSE  mm 

if  tK  TLear  Pike 

Fig.  1'12.— The  original  card,  from   wiiirh  a   lantern  slide  is  mado,  is  lettered 

in  black. 

{Design   by   System   Service^  Seattle.) 

112.  **Movie"  Title  Lettering.— Motion  picture  studios 
eitlier  employ  men  to  letter  titles  or  have  the  work  done  outside. 
Pens  are  used  since  the  original  cards  are  only  11  by  14  in.  in 
size.  Payzant  or  similar  pens  are  better  suited  to  this  work  than 
brushes  as  there  is  usually  little,  if  any,  contrast  in  weight  be- 
tween the  thick  and  the  thin  strokes.  Roman  letters  of  eccentric 
shapes  are  generally  selected,  Fig.  213,  great  importance  being 
given  to  .spacing  and  artistic  arrangement.  Since  it  is  not  good 
practice  to  use  hyphens,  they  are  avoided  by  extending  or  con- 


^ 


COMMERCIAL  PRACTICE 


217 


densing  the  lettering  wherever  necessary.  As  the  lettering 
nearly  always  is  of  the  very  highest  order,  much  may  be  learned 
from  a  close  study  of  motion  picture  titles,  whether  one  does 
such  work  or  not. 

Ross  George,  of  the  System  Service  Company  of  Seattle,  has 
contributed  the  following  description  of  the  past  and  present 
methods  in  the  lettering  of  moving  picture  titles : 

"Card  writers  no  doubt  have  been  greatly  impressed  by  the  improve- 
ment made  in  moving  picture  titles  and  advance  announcement  slides 
in  the  last  few  years.  To-day,  the  arrangement  and  style  of  lettering 
are  being  given  the  same  consideration  as  the  background  upon  which 
the  lettering  is  placed,  and  the  theater-going  public  has  grown  to  expect 
titles  that  harmonize  with  the  rest  of  the  picture. 

"The  lantern  slides  of  10  years  ago  were  generally  an  irritating 
conglomeration  of  scratching  or  lettering  and  a  riot  of  color.  The 
lettering  was  done  on  the  glass  with  a  sharp  pen,  or  scratched  through 
an  opaque  coating  of  whiting  and  lampblack  with  a  needle.  Sometimes 
the  slides  were  illustrated  with  cartoons  or  so-called  works  of  art.  A 
small  box  of  water  colors  and  a  five  cent  brush  were  responsible  for 
these  decorations. 

"When  a  special  feature  was  advertised,  the  manager  went  to  the 
expense  of  photographing  the  slide  from  a  hand  lettered  card.  These 
cards  almost  always  looked  crude,  partly  because  of  the  low  price  paid 
for  them,  and  partly  because  the  small  lettering  had  to  be  made  Avith 
a  brush,  since  the  only  lettering  pens  in  general  use  at  that  time  were 
of  the  Soennecken  style,  which  made  too  sharp  a  lateral  stroke.  These 
hair  lines  invariably  filled  up  and  blurred  on  the  screen  when  the  slide 
was  developed  to  an  opaque  density.  A  few  of  the  aggressive  opera- 
tors discovered  that  a  soft  pine  stick  with  a  notched  blunt  point  pro- 
duced a  small  Gothic  letter,  fairly  uniform  in  its  appearance.  But 
this,  being  considered  a  professional  secret,  never  spread  far  enough 
to  relieve  the  situation. 

"It  was  just  about  this  time  that  the  whole  country  swung  into  the 
use  of  strong  mass  color  posters,  and  with  them  came  a  call  for  heavy 
face  alphabets.  Many  brand  new,  easy  reading,  bold  types  made  their 
appearance  in  national  advertising.  The  ever  alert  advertising  man 
soon  became  convinced  of  then:  commercial  value  and  marked  all  his 
copy  'Gothic'  This  made  business  for  the  type  foundries,  and  overtaxed 
the  ability  of  the  letterer  with  the  tools  he  then  had.  He  was  forced  to 
stump  in  the  small  lettering  with  a  soft  brush,  which  took  twice  the 
time  and  skill. 

"It  was  with  an  effort  to  meet  this  national  need  for  tools  that  the 


'"W 


218 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


I 


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0) 


c 

V 

o 

s 


o 


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c 

•o 

OS 

be 

a 


^^ 

«^ 
o 

« 

DC 

1 

I 

ec 
6 


( 'OMMEh'i  I A  L  Pin  CTICE 


219 


Speedball  i)eii  was  invented.  Contrary  to  the  universally  used  under- 
feed, it  carried  all  the  ink  in  a  simple  double  reservoir  feeder  mounted 
upon  its  back.  This  automatically  controlled  the  flow  and  produced 
uniform,  clean-cut  Gothic  letters  in  a  single  stroke.  It  worked  in  either 
black  or  white  ink.  With  its  introduction  began  a  new  era  in  the  making 
of  movie  titles  and  slides.  The  crude,  uneven  work  of  the  blunt  stick 
and  brnsli  was  replaced  with  gi'aceful  lettering  artistically  arranged  in 
the  center  of  a  neat  panel,  with  air  brush  or  pastel  effects  worked  out 
around  the  border.  Thus  the  artistic  hand  lettered  title  and  advance 
slide  soon  won  their  way  into  a  place  of  equal  importance  with  the 
rest  of  the  picture,  until  now  the  name  of  the  title  letterer  appears  along 
with  the  other  stars. 

"To-day,  no  motion  picture  plant  is  complete  without  its  own  title 
department,  under  the  direction  of  capable  artists  thoroughly  familiar 
with  the  preparation  of  tone  plates  for  movie  reproduction.  The  letter- 
ing of  the  titles  is  being  gi-eatly  expedited  by  the  use  of  the  new  Style  C 
Speedball  pen  which  is  specially  designed  for  this  class  of  work. 

"This  pen  is  made  in  five  sizes,  each  having  the  three  nibs,  making 
a  comb  feed  which  is  automatically  controlled  by  a  flexible  feeder  fitted 
over  the  back.  Heavy  black  or  white  inks  can  be  used  with  perfect 
results  and  clear  whites  obtained  in  one  stroke.  The  tip  of  this  pen  is 
turned  up  just  enough  to  make  the  thin  lines  sufficiently  heavy  for 
reproduction.  This  also  keeps  it  from  cutting,  or  digging  into  soft 
backgrounds  or  rough  pebbled  surfaces.  Strokes  can  be  gracefully 
accentuated  with  the  effect  and  ease  of  a  brush  and  the  speed  of  ordinary 
pen  lettering. 

"In  preparing  advance  announcement  slides  and  titles  without  illus- 
trations or  photos,  the  copy  is  lettered  in  black  ink  on  a  white  card, 
l^Y^  by  14,  using  a  Style  C  or  a  small  size  of  either  Style  A  or  B 
Speedball  pen,  carefully  centering  the  layout  and  leaving  plenty  of 
border  space,  Fig.  212.  The  card  is  then  photographed  directly  on  to 
the  slide  which  is  developed  in  contrasty  developer  and  bound  ready 
for  use.  This  single  operation  makes  the  lettering  appear  white  on 
black,  as  in  the  case  of  the  eccentric  alphabet  shown  in  Fig.  213. 

"When  photographs  are  furnished.  Fig.  214,  the  background  is  gen- 
erally gi-ay  or  black  and  the  lettering  white.  The  pictures  are  cut  out, 
mounted  on  the  card,  and  the  copy  and  decorations  worked  around 
them.    A  good  white  ink  must  be  used  to  get  clean  slides. 

"If  the  backgrounds  are  worked  up  in  soft  air  brush  and  pastel 
effects.  Fig.  215,  it  may  be  necessary  to  spray  them  with  thin  shellac,  or 
letter  the  text  on  a  separate  panel  and  mount  it  on  the  background. 
In  working  up  backgrounds  and  mounted  panels,  it  is  always  advisable 
to  put  as  much  of  the  copy  as  possible  on  separate  cutouts,  as  it  is 
very  slow  working  over  the  rough  backgrounds.     In  preparing  some  of 


i 


220 


SHOW-CARD  WRITIXG 


i 


I 

■ ' 


mm/^^ 

Here  Mxt  Saturaccf  1 

Fig.  214. — Two 


'movie"  annoiinctiiionts  for  films.     Photographs  were  appHtiued 
to  the  backgrounds  of  the  original  cards. 

(Designs'  by  System  Service,  Seattle.) 


COMMERCfAL  PRACTICE 


221 


the  special  titles,  the  copy  is  lettered  on  a  dull  black  card  the  same 
size  as  the  backgi-ound  and  a  double  exposure  is  made.  First  the  back- 
ground is  placed  in  the  copying  frame  and  photographed.  It  is  then 
replaced  by  the  card  containing  the  lettering,  which  is  shot  on  the  same 
film.  By  this  double  exposure  method  many  clever  stunts  are  worked 
out." 


113.    Novel  Embellishments. — It  was  formerly  quite  popular 
to  tinsel  show-card  letters,  a  practice  which  is  much  less  followed 


Fig.  215. — Film  announcement  with  a  water  color  background.  The  lettering 
was  done  on  a  black  panel,  appliqued  to  the  card,  and  the  photograph 
pasted  on  afterward. 

{Dcsiyn  by  System  Service,  Seattle.) 

now.  The  tinselling  was  done  by  coating  the  letters,  or  by  doing 
the  lettering  itself  with  mucilage,  a  few  letters  at  a  time.  Tinsel 
or  Diamond  Dust  was  powdered  on,  and,  after  the  mucilage  was 
dry,  the  excess  tinselling  was  shaken  or  brushed  off,  usuall}'  into 
a  box  so  that  it  might  not  be  wasted  but  used  on  the  next  card. 
Spatter  work  Ls  another  type  of  decoration  which  is  often  used. 
It  resembles  air  brush  work  and  is  used  when  an  air  brush  is  not 
available.  Ink  or  color  is  poured  into  a  saucer  and  a  toothbrush 
dipped  into  the  liquid,  after  which  the  brush  is  held  over  a 


.y.j.j 


SHOW  (Aft  n  WRITIXa 


stencil  and  the  color  spattered  on  by  scraping  the  brush  with  a 
knife  or  toothpick.  Another  method  that  is  better  than  using  a 
knife  or  a  tootlipick  is  to  rub  the  brush  over  a  wire  screen,  as  the 
spray  is  more  uniform  and  there  is  less  danger  of  the  color's 
l)lotting  or  forming  large  spots  on  the  card.  If  there  is  too  much 
ink  on  the  brush,  a  froth  will  be  raised  which  will  hinder  the 
color  from  spattering  evenly. 

Gum  arabic  may  be  used  as  a  substitute  for  stencils,  and  the 
spattering  done  in  several  tones.  A  solution  of  gum  arabic  is 
first  made,  adding  whatever  amount  of  alcohol  is  needed  to  make 
the  solution  flow  freely.  A  coat  of  color  of  the  lightest  tint 
desired  is  then  sprayed  on  the  card.     The  portions  which  are  to 


Fig.  216. — ^Picture  of  a 
rose  before  it  was 
conventionalized. 


be  left  this  tint  are  then  painted  over  with  the  gum  arabic.  The 
next  darker  tone  is  then  sprayed  and  painted  over,  until  the 
deepest  tone  has  been  finished,  after  which  the  card  is  immersed 
in  water  and  the  gum  arabic  stroked  away  with  a  camel's-hair 
brusli.  The  card  is  then  blotted  and  dried  flat.  The  color  must 
be  waterproof,  such  as  India  ink,  or  it  will  wash  away.  Back- 
grounds may  be  prepared  in  advance  by  this  method  and  the 
lettering  put  on  later. 

114.  Conventionalizing  Floral  Cuts.— Pictorial  decorations, 
especially  pictures  of  flowers,  may  be  made  to  look  like  the  work 
of  freehand  artists  without  any  exceptional  drawing  talent  being 
necessary*  This  is  done  by  making  a  tracing  of  a  picture  taken 
from  some  nursery  catalog.  Fig.  216,  and  simplifying  the  out- 
lines by  straightening  the  curved  lines  or  by  drawing  them  very 
smoothly,  ignoring  all  details.  After  the  figure  has  been  changed 
to  a  poster  style,  it  may  be  transferred  to  the  show  card  by  plac- 


^_4lii''"" 


VOMMEinUAL  PR  ACTIVE 


AtiS 


ing  black  carbon  paper  under  the  tracing  and  going  over  the 
drawing  with  a  sharp,  hard  pencil.  Black  carbon  paper  is  better 
than  blue  or  purple  as  it  erases  easier  and  does  not  show  so 
plainly  afterwards. 

Another  method  for  transferring  the  drawing  to  the  card  is 
to  trace  over  the  lines  with  a  perforating  wheel.  The  paper  is 
then  laid  over  the  cardboard  and  the  perforated  lines  rubbed 
or  pounced  with  a  bag  of  charcoal  dust,  known  as  a  pounce 
bag,  transferring  the  design  to  the  card  underneath.  The  dec- 
oration is  completed  by  painting  the  design  in  flat  colors,  Pig. 
217.  Any  kind  of  a  decorative  design  may  be  transferred  to  a 
card  by  either  of  these  methods  and  then  painted  in  colors. 


^ 


Fig.  217. —Decorative  de- 
.sign  made  by  con- 
ventionalizing an 
ordinary  picture. 

115.  Department  Store  Routine. — Some  show-card  writers 
work  in  department  stores^  on  a  salary  basis,  giving  their  full 
time  to  one  store.  Although  these  salaries  are  paid  from  the 
general  funds  of  the  company,  a  record  is  kept  of  the  amount  of 
work  done  for  the  different  departments  and  a  small  charge 
made  to  those  departments  for  the  cards  delivered  to  them. 

Cards  are  usually  charged  for  by  the  sheet  or  the  fractional 
sheet,  just  as  in  individual  shops  doing  a  general  card  writing 
business,  except  that  in  a  department  store  the  charge  is  usually 
much  below  actual  cost.     The  following  is  a  sample  schedule : 

Full  sheet   (22  x  28 )    20  cents 

Half  sheet    ( 14  x  22)    12      " 

Quarter  sheet   (11x14)    7      " 

Eighth  sheet   (7x11)    5      " 

Sixteenth  sheet  (5^!  x  7 )    3      " 

Post  card  size  (3i/.  x  5yo )    2     " 


224 


8nOW-(\iinJ   WRITIXG 


All  stores  do  not  make  the  same  charges  as  given  in  this  schedule, 
but  the  proportions  for  the  different  charges  are  practically 
identical. 

Clerks  wishing  to  have  cards  lettered  make  out  requisitions 
for  them  not  later  than  9:00  a.m.  of  the  day  before  they  are 
needed.  These  requisitions  have  spaces  for  indicating  the  day 
the  card  is  needed,  the  size  of  the  card,  and  the  wording  desired, 
Fig.  218.     In  case  the  goods  are  advertised  in  the  newspapers 


Order  for  SPECIAL 
Sign  Cards 


"•K 


m 


2s. 


KaU  .4  •  -M  \\\mU 


The  J.  L.  Hudson  Ca.  Oemorr 

Order  for  Sign  Cards 

SPECIAL  NOTICE 

Plfasc  Order  Sign  Cards  .\s  Far  In  Advance 
\s  Possible 

htm—Vf^xk^akkHt-wrn  tp-^Mx.skM  MXW.—^li  .i«lil.it»«»«<ty 
■hr  air.   !>:D  l-MC   l~Ul  J    t.ltu    >««*■<. '1   SOW  r.JI!^l>M*. 


n,,L 


if- 


EXACT  DATC  Of  SELLING 


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I.W 


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The  J.  L.  Hudson  Cd 


Fig.  218. — Requisition  blanks  as  used  in  a  department  store. 

also,  the  requisition  is  made  out  the  same  day  that  the  advertising 
cop\'  i.s  written.  In  some  cases  this  may  be  as  much  as  three  or 
four  days  before  the  advertisement  appears  in  the  paper.  The 
requisition  is  next  taken  to  the  floorwalker  or  manager  of  the 
department  for  his  O.K.,  before  it  is  sent  to  the  card  writers. 
Requisitions  for  cards  to  be  used  in  window  displays  are  also 
O.K'd  by  the  window  trimmer.  It  generally  happens,  however, 
that  cards  are  not  ordered  as  early  as  they  should  be  and  a  large 
proportion  of  the  orders  are  rush  orders. 

The  finished  cards  are  filed  in  a  cabinet  in  the  card  writing 
room,  this  cabinet  having  pigeon  holes,  one  for  each  floor.     The 


COMMERCIAL  PRACTICE 


name  or  number  of  the  department  to  which  the  card  should  go  is 
written  on  the  back.  The  cards  are  usually  called  for  by  the 
person  ordering  them  or  by  a  messenger.  Some  card  writers  file 
the  requisition  also  and  in  such  a  way  that  those  needed  first  arc 
at  the  front  of  the  file. 

116.  Independent  Shops. — In  shops  where  public  patronage 
is  solicited,  orders  are  handled  in  the  same  manner  as  in  depart- 
ment stores,  only  no  O.K.  is  required,  the  orders  being  usually 


Good  Trlend 
at  Christmas  Time 

is    a 

Bank  Account 

-  start  t^our 
account 
to-daij      # 


rt^im— 


me  by  return 
mail 

of  your  order 
blanks  for  Christ-^ 
mas  Bank  Account" 


Orc/er  YOUR  Gift  accounts 
•afes.  tixiau 


K'tf 


BauK^  ,. 


Get  a 

LAG     AV 
SOUVENIR^ 

'  lOOOO.  Silk.  Flags 

to  be  grvcn  away 

•*^^^*^       J    u   a  e     l^th 
Guaranty  Trust  6* Savings  Bank_ 


Pig.  219. — Cards  of  a  high  quality  used  in  bank  window  displays. 

made  out  by  the  proprietor  or  some  one  who  has  charge  of  taking 
the  orders.  The  men  employed  in  large  shops  are  paid  in  various 
ways,  such  as  a  salary,  or  a  salary  and  a  commission,  or  on  a  60-40 
basis,  the  card  writer  getting  60  per  cent  of  the  price  received 
for  the  card. 

117.  Opportunities  for  New  Trade.— Although  window^  dis- 
plays have  been  used  by  retail  stores  for  several  years,  it  is  only 
recently  that  other  business  concerns  have  come  to  realize  that 
window  display  advertising  is  applicable  to  them  also.  Banks, 
real  estate  firms,  schools,  clubs,  and  public  welfare  organizations 
are  now  using  and  profiting  from  displays  wherein  show  cards 


226 


SHOW-CARD  WRlffXa 


I 


lit 


form  ail  important  part.  An  energetic  show-card  writer  can 
broaden  his  field  considerably  by  inducing  such  firms  and  organi- 
zations to  make  greater  use  of  cards  and  displays. 

Four  placards  used  successfully  by  a  bank  in  its  windows  are 
shown  in  Fig.  219.  These  are  excellent  cards,  and  the  bank  using 
them  had  taken  pains  to  see  that  they  were  of  the  best  possible 
workmanship  and  in  keeping  with  the  purpose  for  which  they 
were  to  be  used.  A  Christmas  card  hung  on  one  of  the  pillars 
inside  the  bank  is  also  shown  in  Fig.  220. 


Fig.  220. — A  greeting  card  displayed  in  a  bank 

lobby. 

At  the  present  time  theaters  are  offering  a  greater  opportunity 
than  any  other  business  concern  for  extending  show-card  trade 
beyond  the  field  offered  by  retail  stores.  The  lobby  of  the  theater 
takes  the  place  of  the  retail  store  window  for  the  display  of 
cards.  Everyone  wishes  to  learn  a^  much  as  possible  about  a 
show  before  making  up  his  mind  whether  or  not  he  will  attend, 
just  as  a  person  glances  over  the  window  display  of  a  store  to 
learn  as  much  as  possible  about  any  article  he  sees  before  going 
inside  to  make  a  purchase. 

118.   Theater  Lobby  Cards.— Theater  lobby  announcements 


COMMERCIAL  PRACTICE 


227 


may  be  divided  into  two  classes :  one  class  being  the  announce- 
ments concerning  the  program  offered ;  and  the  other  class  con- 
cerning itself  with  such  details  as  the  admission  fee,  the  hours 
when  the  shows  are  open,  and  the  days  when  the  program  changes. 
Theater  lobby  cards  must  be  given  more  protection  than  retail 
display  cards.     Cards  for  retail  stores  are  simply  placed  in  the 


B'iG.  221. — A  theater  card  permanently 
displayed  on  the  outside  of  the 
building.  This  card  announces 
the  name  of  the  theater,  the  time 
during  which  it  is  open,  and  the 
admission  fee. 

window  or  on  the  counter  with  no  special  framing  or  mounting-, 
sometimes  they  are  placed  in  small  holders ;  but  more  often  tliey 
are  set  up  against  some  article  in  the  display.  Such  treatment 
is  not  advisable  in  a  theater  lobby  where  the  cards  are  liable  to 
be  knocked  over,  soiled,  or  affected  by  the  weather.  To  afford 
the  protection  necessary  they  are  mounted  in  brass  framed  eases 
fitted  with  hinged  glass  covers.  A  case  used  to  protect  a  card 
on  the  outside  of  a  building  is  shown  in  Fig.  221.    A  card  of 


228 


SHOW-CARD  WRITING 


this  nature  does  not  need  to  be  changed  for  a  long  time;  there- 
fore, it  is  necessary  that  it  be  well  protected,  especially  since  it  is 
located  so  that  it  is  exposed  to  the  weather.     The  lettering  is  of 


COMMERCIAL  PRACTICE 


220 


! 


Fig.   222. — Matinoo    card   framed    and   suspended    from    a    rack    for 

display  in  a  theater  lobby. 

a  conservative  style  requiring  more  time  and  care  in  the  making 
than  that  on  cards  for  temporary  display.  A  frivolous  and  un- 
conventional style  of  lettering  grows  tiresome  on  cards  bearing 
the  same  inscription  for  any  great  length  of  time. 


Sometimes  the  case  or  frame  is  not  hung  on  the  wall  of  the 
lobby  but  is  hung  from  a  rack  set  out  on  the  lobby  floor,  Fig.  222. 
These  racks  are  generally  used  for  displaying  cards  announcing 
the  hours  of  the  various  performances  or  that  a  show  is  then  being 
given.  The  lettering  for  such  cards  is  larger,  bolder,  and  less 
refined  than  for  more  permanent  announcements. 

The  announcements  regarding  what  is  being  featured  on  the 
program  may  be  lithographed  posters,  or  they  may  be  cards  made 
by  a  show-card  writer.  Theaters  are  gradually  using  more  hand- 
lettered  posters,  although  lithographs  are  cheaper.  Both  litho- 
graphs and  hand-lettered  posters  are  made  28  by  42  in.  which 
is  known  as  ''one-sheet"  poster  size.  This  is  the  standard  unit 
of  measurement  for  lithograph  posters,  a  large  billboard  poster 
being  known  as  ''twenty-four  sheet"  size,  or  whatever  other 
size  it  may  happen  to  be.  Cards  are  not  always  made  in  sizes 
which  exactly  fit  the  frames  used  in  theater  lobbies,  so  the  card 
writer  may  have  to  use  what  is  known  as  "Double  Elephant" 
size,  which  measures  27  by  40  in.  Another,  and  more  common 
size  is  30  by  40  in.  "Grand  Eagle"  size,  however,  measures  28 
by  42  in.  and  will  fit  the  frame  exactly. 

The  program  announcement  may  be  divided  further  into  two 
more  classes ;  one  announcing  the  program  then  running,  and  the 
other  announcing  future  attractions.  Both  are  displayed  at  the 
same  time.  The  color  schemes  used  should  differ  in  the  two 
groups  so  that  the  reader  may  readily  distinguish  between  them. 
Although  the  colors  should  differ,  they  should  harmonize  with 

each  other. 

Material  which  is  helpful  in  planning  the  advertising  of  the 
programs  may  always  be  obtained  from  booking  offices  and  film 
distributors.  In  the  case  of  vaudeville  and  legitimate  theaters, 
the  booking  office,  a  couple  of  weeks  or  so  before  the  date  of  the 
performance,  furnishes  the  theater  manager  with  publicity  mate- 
rial containing  stories  and  photographs  of  interesting  details  in 
the  lives  of  the  star  performers.  Moving  picture  exhibitors  are 
furnished  campaign  books  from  the  film  exchanges,  these  books 
containing  suggestions,  displays,  and  advertising  matter. 

Many  pretty  designs  may  be  copied  on  posters  from  exhibitors' 
campaign  books.  Other  attractive  designs  may  be  copied  from 
magazines  and  such  sources  and  adapted  for  poster  decorations. 
The  pictures  used  may  be  selected  from  three  kinds  of  illustrations ; 


2.10 


Buowcard  writing 


namely,  lithographs,  photographs,  and  pictures  drawn  by  hand. 
Photographs  are  used  the  most  since  it  is  not  difficult  to  obtain 
them.  In  case  they  are  not  available,  however,  at  the  time  the 
cards  are  made  up,  blank  spaces  may  be  left  and  the  photographs 
put  in  later.  Lithographs  of  various  moving  picture  stars  are 
kept  in  stock  for  local  advertising  by  the  exchanges.  A  supply 
of  these  may  be  ordered  wlienever  they  are  needed  and  the  por- 
traits cut  out  and  mounted  on  tlie  cards. 

Some  card  vrriters  contract  with  several  theaters  in  their  own 
city  and  others  nearby  to  supply  them  with  lobby  cards  announc- 
ing their  programs.     Since  moving  pictures   are  routed  from 
town  to  town  and  usually  follow  a  regular  circuit,  the  announce- 
ment cards  may  be  shipped  from  place  to  place  and  used  a  num- 
ber of  times  if  sufficient  care  is  taken  of  them.     Each  theater  is 
furnished  with  directions  for  forwarding  the  advertising  to  the 
next  theater  and  is  also  advised  as  to  the  point  from  which  the 
display  is  coming.     In  case  two  theaters  are  running  the  same 
program  at  the  same  time,  an  extra  set  will  have  to  be  made  up. 
Each  theater  manager  keeps  the  card  writer  informed  as  far  in 
advance  as  passible  in  regard  to  the  films  he  expects  to  show. 
This  enables  the  card  writer  to  design  the  cards  early  and  to 
arrange  the  routing  of  the  material  from  theater  to  theater.     In 
this  way  all  of  the  work  for  a  large  number  of  theaters  may  be 
done  in  one  shop,  making  it  possible  to  quote  comparatively  low 
prices  for  the  work.     Since  one  card  will  do  for  several  theaters, 
the  card  writer  can  afford  to  spend  more  time  on  it  than  if  he 
were  to  letter  a  separate  supply  for  each  theater.     Furthermore, 
if  out-of-town  theaters  are  included  on  the  circuit,  it  makes  it 
possible  for  them  to  receive  a  better  grade  of  advertising  material 
than  could  be  obtained  locallv. 

An  economical  method  of  preparing  theater  lobby  cards  is  to 
substitute  dull  surfaced  oil-cloth  for  cards,  using  water  color  for 
the  lettering.  The  design  can  be  washed  off  after  the  announce- 
ment is  of  no  further  value  and  the  cloth  used  several  times. 

119.  What  to  Charge.— The  charge  for  lettering  cards  for 
any  purpose  is  usually  based  on  the  sheet  or  the  fractional  part 
of  a  sheet,  as  in  department  store  cards.  In  an  independent 
shop,  the  charge  is  much  higher,  however,  being  $1  to  $2  for  a 
full-sized  sheet  (22  x  28) .  Charges  for  the  smaller  sizes  are  made 
in  the  same  proportion  as  in  the  department  store  scale  of 


I 


\ 


s 


> 


COMMERCIAL  PRACTICE 


231 


charges.  For  example,  if  $1  is  charged  for  a  full-sized  sheet,  an 
eighth  of  a  sheet  will  cost  about  one-fourth  as  much  or  25  cents, 
and  not  one-eighth  as  much.  These  rates  apply  to  simple  cards 
in  but  one  or  two  colors.  When  the  inscription  exceeds  ten  or  a 
dozen  words,  an  extra  charge  is  usually  made.  Prices  for  fancy 
cards  cannot  be  estimated  accurately  in  advance,  since  the  time 
spent  on  the  card  is  not  dependent  on  either  the  size  of  the  card 
or  the  number  of  words.  Such  work  is  usually  charged  for  by 
the  hour.  For  work  of  the  best  grade,  $2  an  hour  is  the  usual 
charge.  This  covers  not  only  the  cost  of  time  and  the  materials 
used,  but  includes  a  portion  of  the  expenses,  such  as  rent,  fuel, 
lighting,  and  telephone  service.  If  these  expenses  are  ignored  in 
making  charges,  the  shop  will  be  conducted  at  a  loss.  In  large 
well-managed  shops,  prices  are  not  charged  according  to  the  size 
of  the  card  but  on  the  basis  of  time  and  material. 

The  price  charged  for  large  muslin  banners  is  different  nat- 
urally from  that  charged  for  cards,  it  being  based  on  the  time 
and  materials  required.     Muslin  banners  are  mounted  usually 
on  wooden  frames,  though  street  banners  are  hung  loose  from 
ropes  fastened  to  rings  in  the  corners  of  the  cloth.     The  cost  of 
the  labor  and  material  must  be  included  in  the  prices  charged, 
the  rate  being  lower  for  the  large  banners  than  for  the  small 
ones.     If  one  were  to  assume  that  the  muslin  and  other  material 
cost  40  cents  a  yard  and  the  labor  $1  an  hour,  a  banner  3  by  4 
ft.  in  size  would  warrant  a  charge  of  50  cents  a  square  foot.     The 
charge  for  a  banner  4  by  4  ft.  in  size  might  be  5  cents  less  per 
square  foot,  while  for  a  still  larger  banner,  3  by  10  ft.  in  size,  a 
charge  of  $1  a  running  foot  or  $10  in  all  would  no  doubt  be  sat- 
isfactory.    These  charges  are  merely  suggestive,  since  many  fac- 
tors such  as  higher  wages,  special  lettering,  or  decorations  have 
to  be  considered  and  the  charges  made  accordingly.     If  an  order 
calls  for  several  banners  instead  of  one,  the  customer  may  be 
justified  in  expecting  a  reduction. 

The  union  scale  of  wages  for  sign  painters  is  usually  higher 
than  that  for  show-card  writers.  In  some  localities  the  local 
unions  have  been  successful  in  raising  the  scale  to  the  same  rate 
as  that  for  sign  painters,  but  this  is  not  true  of  all  cities.  The 
w^ages  of  a  first-class  mechanic  in  the  sign  painting  trade  is 
quoted  as  being  as  much  as  $10  to  $20  a  day.  The  same  scale  of 
wages  is  not  in  effect  everywhere,  and  it  would  be  difficult  to 


f 


232 


srrow-cAfw  writing 


attempt  quoting,   with  any  degree  of  accuracy,  the  wages  in 
various  sections  of  the  country. 

120.  Using  Samples. — Tlie  beginner  who  feels  that  his  work 
has  sufficient  merit  to  warrant  his  seeking  employment  should 
provide  himself  with  several  good  samples  of  his  own  lettering. 
These  samples  may  include  some  show  pieces,  but  they  should 
not  be  too  showy  or  they  will  seem  to  exaggerate  his  ability. 
Neat  specimens  of  work  which  he  can  duplicate  at  any  time  for  a 
customer  or  an  employer  are  the  best.    A  portfolio  or  large  en- 


FiG.  223. — I'aper  portfolio  for  carrying 
samples. 

velope  for  carrying  the  samples  should  be  used,  as  wrapping 
paper  is  inconvenient  and  often  untidy.  A  light  cardboard  port- 
folio like  that  shown  in  Fig.  223  will  accommodate  cards  almost 
a  quarter  of  a  sheet  in  size,  and  is  cheap,  serviceable,  and  very 
satisfactory.  Heavier  and  more  substantial  portfolios.  Fig.  224, 
may  be  had  in  a  variety  of  sizes  from  10  by  14  in.  up  to  a  size 
which  will  accommodate  full  sheets  of  cardboard. 

When  a  card  writer  solicits  praspects  for  orders,  photographs 
may  be  substituted  for  sample  cards,  these  photographs  being 
mounted  with  cloth  hinges  at  the  left  margin  and  bound  in  a 
loose-leaf  album.  Office  supply  stores  keep  these  albums  in  stock 
for  travelling  salesmen.  Photographs  are  less  bulky  than  sample 
cards  and  the  album  can  easily  be  carried  in  an  overcoat  pocket. 


1 


i 


> 


■l/ir^ 


COMMERCIAL  PRACTICE 


233 


New  suggestions  may  be  included  as  well  as  samples  of  work  done 
previously  for  other  customers. 

121.  Fitting  for  Successful  Work.— For  the  beginner  who 
wishes  to  succeed  in  the  art  of  show-card  writing,  only  one  word 
of  advice  is  really  necessary  and  that  is,  practice.  The  muscles 
must  be  trained  to  letter  without  effort  or  compulsion.  At  first 
this  seems  hard,  nearly  everyone  becoming  discouraged  soon  after 
starting.  This  should  not  be  the  case,  for  as  a  matter  of  fact 
learning  to  letter  is  no  more  difficult  than  learning  to  write. 


Fig.  224. — Heavy  portfolio  for  carrying  large  show 

cards. 

Both  require  practice,  and  once  either  of  them  is  learned,  it 
seems  simple  and  easy. 

For  the  student  who  has  mastered  the  construction  of  letters 
and  who  is  already  doing  work  of  commercial  value  only  one 
other  thing  need  be  said,— give  the  cards  personality.  One  style 
should  be  studied  persistently,  giving  it  little  variations  here 
and  there  which  suit  the  card  writer's  particular  fancy.  Learn- 
ing one  style  well  has  the  further  advantage  of  permitting  the 
card  writer  to  give  greater  attention  to  artistic  arrangement. 
Such  a  policy  as  this  leads  sooner  or  later  to  giving  the  cards  a 
personality,  a  certain  style  and  appearance  which  distinguish 
them  from  the  work  of  others.  When  a  card  writer  has  reached 
this  stage  of  progress,  his  success  and  income  are  assured. 


I 


INDEX 


Accented    and    sin^'U'-stroke    letters, 

63 
Accented   letters    in    a    sign,   90 
Actual  and  optical  centers,  107 
Adjoining  colors,  influence  of,   123; 

insert  opp.  pp.  122,  123 
Advancing  and  receding  colors,  122 
Advertising,    importance    of    study, 
131 
planning,  131 
tying  up,  132,  134 
Air  brush,   181 

designs,   186,   187,   191 
in  operation,  184 
Alphabet,  block  letter,  full,  84,  86 
block   letter,  plain,  84 
cartoon,  96 
Classic  Roman,  43,  44 
elementary,  15 
fancy  Script,  79 
freak,  96 
Gothic,   52,   53 
Gothic   (so-called),  55 
Italic,  59,  60 

Italic,  show-card,  72,  75,  77 
Italic,  single-stroke,  plain,  72,  77 
lower  case   Roman,   49,   50 
"movie,"  218 
"Old  English,"  52,  74 
pen  letters  with  serifs  turned  in- 
ward and  outward,  1)2 
plain,  single-stroke  brush,  GO 
poster,    96,   97 
Roman,  Classic,  43,  44 
Roman,  lower  case,  49,  50 
Roman,  show-card,  69,  70,  72 
round   writing,    80 
Script,  60 
Script,   fancy,   79 
Script,  show-card,  76,  78 
show-card,  Roman,  6!),  70,  72 
show-card,  single-stroke  Italic,  72, 

75,   77 
single-stroke,  plain,  66 
single-stroke,  Script,  78 
single-stroke,  spurred  brush,  64 
Tuscan,   68,   71 
Uncial,  51,  52 


Analogous  colors,  124 

color  schemes,  125:   insert  opp.  p. 

123 
Appeals,  basis  of,  143 
Arrangement,    booth    display,     100, 

101 
principles  of,  99 
"Artistic,"  moaning  of,   101 
Atomizer,   181,   185 
Attention,   gaining,    139 

Balance,   camouflaged,    102 
color,  127;   insert  opp.  p.  123 
equal  masses,  102 
masses  of  different  tones,  105 

see-saw  principle,  104 

several  unequal  areas,  105 

symmetrical,    102 

two   unequal    areas,    104 

what  to,  103 
Bank   display  cards,   225,  226 
Banners,   brushes  for,  31,  32 

charges   for,  231 
Beginners,  errors  of,  38 

suggestions  to,  37,  97,  199,  232 
Black  sable  brushes,  32 
Block  letters,  84 
Blow-pipe  atomizer,   185 
Board,  drawing,  .35 
Bold-face  letters,  89,  90 
Books,  supplementary  study,  118 
Booth  displays,  93,  100,   101,   113 
Borders,   171,   172 

pens  for,  19,  174 
Bridge,  using,  173 
Brush,  air,  181,  184 

alphabet,   plain,   single-stroke,   66 
spurred,    single-stroke,    64 

position.   Script  letters,  79 
single-stroke  letters,  65 
Brushes,  banner,  31,  32 

black   sable,   32 

camel's-hair,  30,  31 

care  of,  32 

case  for,  32 

mixed  hair,  31,  32 

ox-hair,  31,  32 

Red  Sable,  28,  29 


235 


236  INDEX 


Brushes   { Tow  tinned ) 

Script  or  '^rigger,"  30,  31 
Brush  strokes,  curved,  40,  41 


Cabinet  for  cardboard,  190 
Camel's-hair  brushes,   30,  31 
Cardboard,  cutting,  156,  157 

file,   190 

size  and   weight,   34,   229 
Cards,   slotted,    208 

stock  of  prepared,  100 
Card  writing,  development  of  trade, 

1 
Care  of  br«^^lK^s,  32 
Case,  brush,  32 

Centers,  actual  and  optical,  107 
Chalk  lines,  207 
Charge,  what  to,  230 
Circles,  how  to  make,  174,  175 
Circuit,  theatrical  card  service,  220 
Classic  Roman,  43,  44 
Classification  of  letters,  18 
Clippings  for  illustrations,  212 
Cloth,   brushes  for,  31,  32 

sign,  207 
Cold  colors,  124 
Color   balance,    127;    insert   opp.   p. 

123 
Color   fatigue,    129;    insert   opp.   p. 

123 
Color,  importance  of,  119 

jar  of,  33 

selection  of,  167,  195,  196 

shades,   124;   insert  opp.  p.  123 

spectrum,    119 

tints,    124;    insert   opp.    p.    123 

triads,   128 

troubles,  200 

value,   124;    insert  opp.  p.    123 

wheel,    120;    insert  opp.   p.   123 
Colors,  advancing,   122 

analogous,   125 

cold,  124 

complementary,    122 

contents  of  complementary,  insert 
opp.   p.    122 

contents  of  secondary,  insert  opp. 
p.   122 

contents   of   tertiary,    insert   opp, 
p.  122 

dried  out,  202 

effect  of,  167,  196 

holder  for,   187 

how  eye  sees,  120 

influence    of    adjoining,    123;    in- 
sert opp.  pp.  122  and  123 

japan,  207 

oil,  207 


Colors    {Continued) 

prepared,   33 

primary,  120 

rack  for  holding,  187 

receding,    122 

secondary,   121 

tempera,  203 

tertiary,    121 

warm,    124 
Color  schemes,  124,  168,  195,  199 

analogous,  125;  insert  opp.  p.  123 

complementary,    125;    insert   opp. 
p.   123 

difficult,  195 

monochrome,    125;    insert  opp.   p. 
123 

perfected,  126;  insert  opp.  p.  123 

three  colors,  199 

two  colors,  168 
Commercial  viewpoint,  151 
Comparison,    modern    and    original 

"Old  English,"  53 
Complementary  colors,  122 

contents  of,  insert  opp.  p.  122 
Complementary  color  schemes,   125; 

insert  opp.  p.  123 
Composition,  five  laws  of,  101 

importance  of,  99 
Condensed  and  extended  letters,  87 
Contrast  for  securing  emphasis,  112 
Controlling  the  eve,   115 
Convention   booth^  93,   100,   101 
Correcting  errors,   146 
Cost,  first  shop  equipment,  7 
Crayon  holder,  37 
Crossbar  variations,  88 
Curved  brush  strokes,  how  to  make, 

40 
Cut-out  designs,   181,  182 

in  use,  179 

stencil,   179 
Cut-outs  and  stencils,  179 
Cutting  cardboard,  156,  157 


INDEX 


237 


Definitions,  letter  details,  13 
Department  store,  order  blanks,  224 

routine,  223 

starting  in,  7 

wages,  7 
Designs,     air     brush     backgrounds, 
186,   187 

artist's  ball  poster,  154 

bargain  basement  sign,  94 

bold-face  or  poster  lettering,  89,  90 

book  poster,  153 

Ijook  sale,  144 

boys'   clothing   display   card,    133 


Designs    ( Con  tinned ) 

butter  and  egg  price  card,  208 
cheap  effect  in  lettering,  152 
Christmas     display     card,     insert 

opp.   p.   200 
collection    showing    individuality, 

155 
cut-out,  181,   182 
discount   sale   announcement,    142 
drug  store  cards,  165,  213 
Fall  opening  display  card,  191 
fur  sale  display  card,  2 
harvest  sale  announcement,  95 
Labor  Day  notice,  91 
lacking  in  harmony,  111 
lantern  slides,  214,  215,  216 
light-face  lettering,  89 
Memorial  Day  notice,  102 
men's  hat  sale  card,  115 
men's  store  Christmas  slogan,  137 
"movie   titles,"    218,    220,    221 
nameplate,  137 
necktie  display  card,   162 
New   Year's   display   card,    insert 

opp.  p.  201 
odd  letters  with  square  serifs,  91 
pajama  sale  show-card,   117 
Balm    Beach    clothing    card,    110, 

iiir  114 

poster  showing  individuality,  154 

rent  sign,   90 

seasonal  announcements,  159,  176, 

191 
shirt  sale  announcement,  103,  179 
shoe  sale  announcement,   145 
silhouette  illustrations,   210 
silk  suits  display  card,   138 
special  sale  display  card,  152 
spring    and    summer    styles    an- 
nouncement,  176 
stencil,  191 

straw  hats  display  card,  163 
studio  announcement,  71 
theater    cards,    5,    112,    164,    182, 

211,  227,  228 
wedding  presents  display  card,  136 
youth's  clothing  show  card,  140 

Details,  letter,  15 

Development,  lower  case  letters,  54 
show-card  writing,  1 

Display,  June  window,  3 
service,  for  fee,  3 
southern    winter    styles    window, 
135 

Displays,  booth,  93,  100,  101 
lacking  simplicity,  113 

Dollar  marks,   163 

Drawing  board,  35 

Dried  out  colors,  202 

Duplicate  cards,  how  to  make,  159 


E 


Easel,  188 

Effect  of  colors,  167,  196 

of  line,  116 
Egyptian  hieroglyphics,   12 
Elementary  alphabet,  15 
p]mbellishment,   faces  of   letters,   !>l 

novel,    221 

outline  relief,  93 
Emphasis,   how  to   secure,    112,    113 
P^mplovment,  different  types  of  job>, 

6 

Enlargements,  how  to  make,  177,  178 
Equipment,  cost  of,  7 

students',  34 
Erase,    how   to,    147 
Erasing  devices,   148 
J>rors,  beginners',  38 

correcting,  146 
Esterbrook  lettering  pens,  25 
Exercises,   practice,   39,    40,   58,   67, 

97 
Extended  and  condensed  letters,  87 


F 


Fancy  Script  alphabet,   79 
Fatigue,   color,    129;    insert   opp.   p. 

123 
File,   cardboard,   190 
Flat  shoe  pens,  writing  position,  26, 

27 
Foot  pump,  183 
Frame,  for  outdoor  cards,  228 
Freak  letters,  95,  96 
Future  of  trade,  8 


G 


Gothic  letters,  52,  53,  72 
Gothic   ( so-called ) ,  55,  56,  57 

practice  strokes,   58 
Grays,  121 

Greek    rule    for    proportioning    lay- 
outs, 107 
Guide  lines,  14,  207 


Hand,  how  to  draw,  209 
Handling  pens,  28 
Hand  pump,   183 
Harmony,   108 
Headlines,   146 
Hieroglyphics,    Egyptian,   12 
History  of  lettering,  value  of,  43 
Holder,  color,  187 

crayon,  37 
Hue,   121 


)ia8 


INDEX 


Illustrated  cards,  how  to  make,  210 
Index  hand,  how  to  draw,  201) 
Individuality,    154 
Influence   of   adjoining   colors.    123; 
insert  opp.  pp.   122  and   123 
Inks,  202 

Ink,  wliite,  how  to  make.  203 
Italic  alphabet,  50,  60,  75 
.show-card  alphabet,  72,  75,  77 


Japan  and  oil  colors,  207 

Jar  of  color,  33 

Jobs,  different  types  of,  6 


Knives,  mat,  180,  181 
stencil,  178 


lantern  slides,  212,  215,  216 

how  to  make,  214 
Laying  out  card,    157 

letters,   40 
Layout,    horizontal   panels,    107 

pencil,  158 

proportioning,  107,  108 

rough,   158 

single  vertical  panel.  107 

three  harmonious  panels,  101) 

unrelated   shapes.   111 
Learning  to  letter,  37 
Lettering,  origin  of,   1 1 
Letters,  accented  and   singk'-stroke, 
63 

alphabets  of  (see  Alphabet) 

block,  84 

bold- face,  89,  90 

classification  of,  18 

condensed  and  extended,  87 

freak,  95 

laying  out,  40 

light-face,  89,  90 

modification  of,  81 

poster,    89,   90,   95,   96,   97 

Renaissance,    59,    60 

show-card,  requirements  of,  63 

spacing,   38 
Lifter,  thumb  tack,  36 
Light-face  letters,  89,  90 
Line  and  mass,  116 
Lines,  guide,  14,  207 

ruling,    160 
Listing  selling  points,  141 
Lobe  variations,  87,  88 


Lower  case  letters,  Roman,  49,  50 
development  of,  54 


M 


Margins,  proportioning,  107,  108 
Marking  pens,  20,  21 
Mass  and  line,  116 
Materials,  students',  34 
Mat  knives,  180,  181 
Measuring  strip,   162 
JMixed  hair  bruslies,  31,  32 
Modifications,  letters,  81 

originating,  95 
Monochrome  color  schemes,  125;  in- 
sert opp.  p.  123 
"Movie''  theater  service,  229 

titles,  216,  218,  220,  221 

N 

Numerals,  80 
accented  stroke,  83 
pen,  81 
single-stroke,  82 

O 

* 

Oil  and  japan  colors,  207 
"Old  English,"  52,  55 

comparison,  modern  with  original, 

53 
Optical  center,  107 
Order  blanks,  department  store,  224 
Origin,  lettering,  11 
Ornamentation,   conventional   flower 

design,  222 
Outfit,  cost  of  shop,  7 

students',   34    (frontispiece) 
Outline  relief,  93,  94 
Ovals,   how  to  make,   175 
Ox-hair  brush,  32 


Pantograph,  177 
Paper,  manilla,  for  practice,  36 
Parallel  rule  attachment,  161 
Pen  alphabet,  serifs  turned  inward 
and  outward,  92 

numerals,  80 
Pencil  pointer,  37 
Pens,  border  ruling,  174 

Esterbrook  lettering,   25 

flat  shoe,  writing  position,  26,  27 

handling,   28 

marking,  20,  21 

Pavzant,  22,  23 

quill,    13 

reed,  13 


^" 


JNDEX 


239 


ens    {Continued) 
round  writing,  19,  20 
ruling,   19,  174  , 
shading,   21 
iSoennecken,   19,  20 
Speedball,  23,  24.  25,  219 
Spoonbill,  24 
Verti,  21,  22 
Perfected  color  schemes,  126;   insert 

opp.  p.   123 
Planning  advertising,  131 
Pointer,  pencil,  37 
Portfolios  for  samples,  232,  233 
Position,  brush,  for  Script,  79 
brush,  single-stroke  letters,  65 
flat  shoe  pens,  26,  27 
round  writing  pen,  20,  76 
Poster,  alphabet,  96,  97 
brush,  32 
essentials  of,  141 
letters,  89,  90,  95,  96,  97 
standard  sizes,  229 
Practical  show-card  designs,  161 
Practice  paper,   36  ^ 

strokes,   39,   40,   58,   67,   97 
Prepared  show-card  color,  33 
Price  marks,  163 

marker  with  tongue,  209 
tag  figures,  39 
tickets,  84 
Prices,  banner,  231 
of  cards,  230 
in  department  stores,  223 
Primary  colors,  120 
Principal  styles,  four,  67 
Proportioning  margins,  107,  108 
Pumps  for  air  brush,  183 


S 


Quill  pens,  13 


Q 


Rack,  air  brush  colors,  187 

Receding  colors,  122 

Red  Sable  brushes,  28,  29 

Reed  pens,  13 

Renaissance  letters,  59,  60 

Retainer,  double-end,  ink,  28 

rubber  band,  ink,  27,  29 
Rhythm,  111 
"Rigger"  brushes,  30,  31 
Roman,  show-card,  69,  70,  72 

classic,  43,  44 

early  English  forms  of,  58 

lower  case,  49,  50 
Round  writing  alphabet,  80 
Round  writing  pens,  19,  20 

position  of,  20,  76 
Routine,  department  store,  223 
Ruling  pens,  19 


Salaries,  r>,  7.  231 
Samples,   232 

portfolios  for,  232,  233 
Schemes,  color,  124,  168,  199 
Script,  alphabet,  60 
brushes,  30,  31 
brush  position,  79 
fancy,  79 

show-card  alphabet,  76.^78 
single-stroke  alphabet,  78 
Secondary  colors,  121 

contents  of,  insert  opp.  p.  122 
Selection  of  colors,  107,  195,  196 
Selling  points,  listing,  141 
Serifs,  styles  of,  90,  92 
Service,  theatrical  card,  229 

window  display,  3,  8 
Shades  and   tints,    124;    insert  opp. 

p.  123 
Shading,  arguments  against,  92 
drop,  92 

methods  of,  93,  94 
pen,  21 
Shop,  sign,  6,  7 
Show-card  letters,  requirements  (>ee 

also  single-stroke),  63 
Sign  cloth,  207 
Sign  painting,  development  of  card 

writing  from,  1 
Sign  "Room  for  Rent,"  90 
Simplicity,  113 
Single-stroke  letters,  63 
brush  alphabet,  plain,  66 

spurred,  64 
brush  position,  65 
Italic,  72,  75,  77 
numerals,  S2 
Script  alphabet,  78 
Size  of  cards  and  posters,  34,  229 
Slides,  lantern,  212,  215,  216 

how  to  make,  214 
Slotted  cards,  208 
Soennecken  pens,  19,  20 
Soliciting  trade,  225,  232 
Spacing  letters,   38 
Spatterwork,   221 
Spectrum,  color,   119 
Speedball  pens,  23,  24,  25,  219 
Spoonbill  pens,  24 
Stem  variations,  87 
Stencil,  air  brush  designs,  180,   191 
cut-outs,  179 
knife,   178 
Stock,  manufacturers'   samples,   169 
novel  finishes  of,  170 
prepared  cards,  190 
Stone  age  lettering,  11 
Store,  see  department  store 


I 


■ 


i| 


i 


240 

Strokes,  brush  exercise,  67 

curved  brush,  40 

direction  and  order,  81 

fundamental,  17 

practice,  39,  40,   58,  67,  97 
Students'   materials,   34 

table,  34 
Studio,  8 
Styles,  four  principal,  67 

requirements    for    show-card 
ters,  63 
Suggestions    to    beginners,    37, 
199,  232 

general,   148 
Swash  variations,  88 
Symmetrical  balance,  102 


INDEX 


let- 
9T, 


Tables,  work,   34,   187,   189 
Tack  lifter,  36 
Talking  points,  132,  134 
Tempera  color,  203 
Tertiary  colors,  121 

contents  of,  insert  opp.  p.  122 
Texture,  effect  of,  171 
Theater  cards,  5,  112,  164,  182, 

226,  227,  228 
Theatrical  card  service,  229 
Thumb  tacks  and  lifter,  36 
Tickets,  price,  84 
Time  required  to  learn  lettering, 
Tinselling,  221 
Tints,   124;   insert  opp.  p.  123 

-"■• 


211, 


Training  required,  4 
Triads,  color,  128 
Triangle,  using,  35,  36 
Trouble  with  colors,  200 
T-square,  35 
Tuscan  alphabet,  68,  71 
Tying  up  advertising,  132,  134 


Uncial  alphabet,  51,  52 
Unity,  110 

in  thought,  153 


Value,  color,  124;  insert  opp.  p.  123 
Variations,  87,  88 
Verti-pen,  21,  22 
Viewpoint,  commercial,  151 


W 


Wages,  department  store,  7 

sign  shop,  6 
Warm  colors,  124 
White  ink,  how  to  make,  203 
Window  display,  development  of,   1 

holiday  background,   193 

June,  3 

service,  3,  8 

southern  winter  styles,  135 
Window  dresser,  working  with,  192 
Wording,  aim  of,  139 

tlie  card,  135,   144 


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Principles  and  practice  of 
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